


Never Gone

by kimuracarter



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Abduction, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brainwashing, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Slash, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-22
Packaged: 2017-10-31 00:43:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimuracarter/pseuds/kimuracarter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the verge of happiness, Leonard McCoy is taken from his new life and brainwashed to be the perfect solider. And it would have worked if not for the tenacity of Jim Kirk who wouldn't just let him go. It's a race across the world from the government agency that doesn't want to lose their asset and another enemy from the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or its characters. 
> 
> **Artist:** [](http://vengefuldemon69.livejournal.com/profile)[**vengefuldemon69**](http://vengefuldemon69.livejournal.com/)  
>  **Mixer:** [](http://castofone.livejournal.com/profile)[**castofone**](http://castofone.livejournal.com/)  
>  **Beta:** [](http://redheadaholic.livejournal.com/profile)[**redheadaholic**](http://redheadaholic.livejournal.com/)  
>  **Link to Art:** [Never Gone banner](http://i.imgur.com/A4fa2.png) by [](http://vengefuldemon69.livejournal.com/profile)[**vengefuldemon69**](http://vengefuldemon69.livejournal.com/)  
>  **Link to Mix:**[Never Gone fanmix](http://rushedwords.livejournal.com/13160.html) by [](http://castofone.livejournal.com/profile)[**castofone**](http://castofone.livejournal.com/)

There were days when Pavel Chekov regretted working for the government. His advanced algorithms had been used to improve the search parameters for a project that was kept well away from the public eye. Pavel and his team were looking for new candidates for the program, and they had had great results.

Pavel knew that he should be proud of the work they were doing to bring new men and women into an organization that was literally fighting crime and corruption all over the world.

But some days, it just made him sick to his stomach.

Pavel's job had not been to design a program to search for perfect soldiers; it was designed to hunt for sharp, intelligent people who had hit a low in their lives. Who were vulnerable and would cling to any rope that you threw them. These weren't just people that had lost their jobs; they were people that had lost their lives. It was hard for Chekov not to get depressed by all the negativity he encountered day in and day out.

He sighed as one of the team members under him sent a new profile for him to review. There were three levels of assessment: first, his search algorithms rooted out possible candidates; then two separate teams would weed out any that seemed like they could become unstable or were ill-suited to the physical demands of a spy. The final decision about whether or not to recruit them was not up to Chekov; that was left up to Uhura and her team.

He scanned the information on his screen: Leonard Horatio McCoy. Disgraced doctor from Georgia. Recently lost his father and about to lose his wife in a messy divorce. Medical license suspended, since there was an investigation into whether or not he had helped his father die. Chekov sighed. Just the kind of person they were looking for: smart, vulnerable, and willing to take a life. After reviewing his history a little further, Chekov marked the file as approved and sent it on his way.

He stretched and glanced out the window over the D.C. skyline, recalling one of the first recruits he had helped bring in: Hikaru Sulu.

~~~

Agent Sulu watched with a critical eye as Doctor Leonard McCoy left the courthouse, shrugging off his lawyer and making a beeline for his car. His now ex-wife, on the other hand, was chatting amiably with her lawyer – even smiling.

Sulu brought the binoculars up to his eyes and watched McCoy rage and slam his hands against the steering wheel. The divorce had been a bloodbath. McCoy had been left with almost nothing. After a minute, he sped out of the parking lot.

Sulu found him easily later that night, drinking at his favorite bar. He knew the look in those hazel eyes so well. He had been observing McCoy for months; he knew his habits, his moods. He had seen his marriage dissolve after the death of his father; it was like watching train wreck. _But there’s always hope_ , he reminded himself. _Out of tragedy can come success._ Sulu left the dark bar and stepped outside to place a call. The phone was answered almost before it had a chance to ring.

“Uhura. You have a report on McCoy?”

“Yes, ma’am. He’s perfect.”

“Excellent. We could use a doctor. They take well to learning how to take people apart or patch them back up when needed. Give him a few more weeks to drown his troubles. The less we have to wean him off the bottle, the better. Then start the recruitment process.”

“Understood.” Sulu hung up and went back inside; he scanned around quickly, alarmed. McCoy was gone.

~~~

Jim Kirk was on his way out rail yard when he caught sight of something strange. In his six months working on the rail, he had never actually seen a freight hopper. He was almost excited as he saw a man stumble out of one the cars.

He frowned as the man lurched alarmingly and then vomited on the ground.

“Hey! You all right?” Jim called, heading towards him. _Idiot doesn’t know what he got himself into_ , he thought. The hopper struggled back to his feet, still swaying. Jim could smell the alcohol on him. His hand itched for his radio; the guy might need an ambulance. He landed against the boxcar, wheezing unevenly. Jim jogged the last few steps. “You okay?”

The guy jerked, spinning to face Jim and tilting dangerously.

Jim instinctively reached out a hand to steady him by his shoulder. “Take it easy. You all right?”

The man stared at him with wild, bloodshot eyes. “Do I look all right to you, kid?” His voice was rough as he gestured to his rumpled clothing. His hair was a greasy mess – bits sticking up here and there. Jim blinked – despite his disheveled state, the guy was gorgeous – full, plush lips, gorgeous olive skin, and amazing hazel eyes.

He shook his head slightly to get back to the topic at hand. “Do you need an ambulance? Are you hurt?”

The man pulled out of Jim’s grasp. “I don’t _need_ a doctor, damn it, I _am_ a doctor.”

Jim felt the beginnings of a smile pulling at his mouth. “Okay, Doc. Do you know where you are?”

The doctor squinted, looking around the rail yard in obvious confusion. “No.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

The stranger scratched a hand through his stubble. “Was at a bar. Can’t remember much after that.”

“What day was that? Where were you?”

“Yesterday, damn it! Tuesday – no Wednesday night.”

“Where?”

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “You’re awfully nosy.”

Jim chuckled. “Hey, I’m being nice here. I should call the bull and have you arrested for hoppin’ a freight train.”

The doctor’s eyes widened, and he backed away from the train as if seeing it for the first time. “What? No, I – “

“Relax. I’ve hopped more than a few rails in my life.”

“But … I didn’t mean to. I can’t remember …”

“Listen, let’s get you out of here and cleaned up. Then we’ll see if your memory comes back, all right?” It wasn’t like Jim had any other major plans before his next shift. “Have you ever blacked out before?”

The doctor grabbed onto Jim’s jacket with both hands. “Where am I?!”

Jim held onto his arms to keep him upright. “Allentown, Pennsylvania.”

For a minute, it looked like the doctor couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “I may throw up on you.”

~~~

“What do you mean you _lost_ him?” Uhura hissed into Sulu’s ear.

“Just that, ma’am. When I returned to the bar after we spoke, he was gone. He never made it back to his apartment. I've searched all around the city all night.”

Uhura sighed. He could practically hear her pulling herself back together. “I’ll have Chekov look into the law enforcement records. Check in with the morgues.”

“I’ve already looked into both –”

“Well, keep looking. Find him.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~~~

It took some convincing, but Jim had finally gotten Doctor Leonard McCoy to let him drag him back to his apartment. He needed some place to sleep off the alcohol, but he didn't need to go to the hospital. Jim didn't want to just leave him at the station while he figured out how to get back home. It had taken almost until they stepped into the doorway before Jim got a name. What Jim had gathered, however, was that McCoy was from Georgia, was newly divorced and extremely bitter about it. He’d been drowning his hatred for his ex-wife and must have stumbled onto the train after his bender. Jim had promptly christened the doctor “Bones” when Leonard had stated that was all he had left.

The ranting didn’t even let up when Jim helped him into the bathroom and methodically pulled off his filthy clothes – two sweaters, a button-down shirt, muddy jeans, mismatching socks, and unidentifiable loafers. Standing there, in only his boxers, McCoy just kept right on ranting. He was cursing his ex-wife and her family up one side and down the other.

Jim mentally shrugged and turned on the shower; there was no way he was letting a total stranger covered in that much travel dirt sleep on his couch. He saw Bones sway again out of the corner of his eye and quickly caught him, sitting him on the toilet instead.

The ranting seemed to be going in circles, Jim noted as he peeled off his own clothing. When he was naked, Bones finally fell silent.

“What the hell are you doing, kid?”

“I told you it’s _Jim_ , not kid. Jim Kirk. And I’m getting you cleaned up, like I promised.” He helped Bones back to his feet and quickly pulled off his boxers. He was surprised that McCoy didn’t fight him as he managed to get both of them in the shower and immediately started scrubbing down the doctor. He couldn’t help but notice the smooth, tan skin as it was freed from the layers of dirt. The former Mrs. McCoy had let one fine specimen of a man go.

When Jim let go of him to reach for the shampoo, McCoy slumped forward.

“Whoa!” Jim caught him again and shook him gently. “Bones! C’mon, Bones, stay awake for just a bit longer.”

McCoy shook his head. “Y’talk too much.”

Jim laughed as he managed to reach the shampoo and balance Bones against his shoulder. “If you weren’t drunk off your ass, you’d realize how hilarious that sounds right now.” He washed McCoy’s dark hair twice, scrubbing hard against the scalp to get out all the dirt.

Bones made an indistinct noise against Jim’s skin when he finally turned the water off.

“C’mon, Bones, just let me get you dry. Then you can sleep it off.”

“Sleep?”

“Yeah. In just a bit. Come on.”

~~~

Leonard awoke slowly with a groan. He cracked his eyes open and tried to make sense of the unfamiliar living room in the dim light. _Where the hell am I?_

Pain lanced through his temples, and he quickly closed his eyes and breathed deeply to fight off the nausea.

Sound exploded in the small room as the door burst open, and a figure stumbled inside.

Leonard sat up. “Who the hell are you?!”

A light flicked on, and a tall blond man with blood running down his face grinned at him. “Bones! You’re awake!”

Memories began to flicker in Leonard’s mind. “Jim?” he ventured.

“Got it in one,” Jim said, heading towards the bathroom.

Leonard pushed himself to his feet and stumbled after him. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Hit on the wrong girl, apparently,” Jim answered. “Gave as good as I got, though. _And_ I was outnumbered.”

“Don’t sound so damn proud,” Leonard growled.

In the light of the bathroom, bruises became visible on Jim’s face. He dabbed at a cut just above his eyebrow.

“Let me look at that,” Leonard said.

Jim shrugged. “I’m fine. I’ve had worse.”

“Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor. Let me do my job. Sit down!”

Jim sighed dramatically and sat on the toilet. “Fine.”

Leonard took the washcloth and gently dabbed at the blood until he could see the cut clearly. “That needs stitches.”

Jim shook his head. “Forget it. I’m not going to the ER for this.”

“It’ll scar if you don’t. Trust me. If I had the tools, I’d do it myself.”

“Hold that thought.” Jim said, pressing the cloth to the wound and rummaging around in the cabinet. He pulled out a first aid kit.

Leonard rolled his eyes and sighed explosively. “Damn it, Jim, that won’t –” His rant died as Jim opened the box; this was no ordinary first aid kit.

“My old roomie was an EMT. He also liked to camp, so he kept himself stocked for all kinds of emergencies. Sometimes I’d call him Commander Apocalypse,” Jim explained with a grin.

Leonard looked over the supplies and nodded. “I think I can work with this.”

“Go for it. I trust ya. Not sure why, given that we just met and the circumstances therein.” He shrugged. “Either there's just something about you, or I'm way more drunk that I think I am, Bones.”

Leonard growled as he washed his hands. “Stop callin’ me that.”

“Come on, considering how and where I found you, there are a lot less flattering names I could come up with.” Jim chuckled.

Leonard nodded thoughtfully, wincing as his headache came back with a vengeance.

“You sure you’re up for this, Bones? You sober?”

“More sober than you. Now hold still.”

~~~

A half hour later, Jim’s wound had been dressed to Leonard’s satisfaction.

They had returned to the living room and flopped on the couch, sucking down a bottle of water each. Jim also had an icepack to his cheek, which Leonard had wrapped in a towel for him.

“You remember anything yet?” Jim asked.

“All I can remember is drinkin’ my troubles away at Murphy’s. I think I faintly remember stumblin’ out of there. Got the feelin’ someone was watchin’ me. Then I … must have somehow stumbled into that train.”

Jim chuckled. “Well, better in it than in front of it.”

Leonard gave a small smile. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “Thank you for … you know …”

“Not calling the bull? Keeping you out of jail?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you stitched me up, so I think that makes us even, Bones. You’re welcome to crash here until you head back home.”

Leonard sighed, rubbing a hang over his face. “Home to what?”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “You may not have the best bedside manner, but I bet your patients miss you just the same.”

“Been temporarily suspended.” He sighed again and took another gulp of water. “Sorry. Shouldn’t dump this on you.”

“I think I’m kind of immune after you ranted at me earlier.”

Leonard looked away. “Lord, what did I say?”

Jim shrugged. “Just mostly ranted about your wife and stuff. Sounds like you really got hosed.”

Leonard laughed. “Yeah, that’s about right. Well, when this is is all over, I've still got my position at the hospital, when I go back to it.”

Jim nudged his knee. “You could go anywhere, though. There are hospitals all over the country. No rule saying you need to stay where you’ve got so many bad memories.”

“Do you make this much sense when you’re sober?”

Jim laughed. “I try, Bones. I try.”

~~~

“Sulu here.”

“We’ve got McCoy,” Uhura told him. “He just used his credit card to book a train back to Georgia.”

“Where is he?”

“Pennsylvania.”

“What?!”

“Not sure how he got there; it's possible he hopped a train. He might be a bit more impulsive than his profile showed. Keep a close eye on him when he gets back. We need to make sure he's what we need.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~~~

When McCoy returned to Georgia a few days later, it didn’t seem that much had changed. He was starting to drink less and seemed to spend more time on his computer. Other than that, Sulu didn’t observe any changes. About a week after McCoy came back, Sulu was temporarily pulled from his assignment to help out with a “situation.” He quickly filed his observations and marked the case as “go for recruitment” before shipping out.

When he returned six months later, the situation had _definitely_ changed.

~~~

Leonard clicked the button to to send the call through on his screen. _Ah, Skype, the way of the future_ , he thought. Then snorted. _Something like that._

Still, it did give him a chance to see Jim between visits. He loved starting into those blue eyes and recalling exactly how they looked when he made Jim cry out in ecstasy. It was a sweet sort of torture, being able to see the skin that he had kissed and licked – but not touch.

“Bones!” Jim’s voice boomed through Leonard’s computer speakers. His face appeared a second later, and he waved eagerly.

“Yeah, yeah, Jim, I see you,” Leonard answered. Jim had talked him into using a webcam about a month into their relationship.

“Are those boxes I see behind you? You all packed?”

Leonard couldn’t help the little smile that played at his lips. “Yep. Pretty much. Movers are coming in two days.”

“You living on takeout until then?”

Leonard chuckled. “Yeah. The kitchen’s full of boxes, and the pots and pans are packed.”

“I’m really looking forward to having you closer, Bones. I can’t wait.” Jim waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Leonard rolled his eyes even though he was glad that Jim had talked him into making a fresh start. “Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble, kid.”

“And someone’s gotta remind you that a little trouble keeps life interesting.” Jim frowned. “You okay, Bones?”

Leonard nearly sighed. The kid was getting damn good at reading him, even via webcam. “You remember when I said it used to feel like someone was watchin’ me?”

“Yeah?”

“I haven’t felt it months, but … I definitely felt it today.”

Jim’s frown deepened. “Bones, I think I should come down –“

Leonard shook his head. “I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s just two more days; I’ll be fine.”

“When did it happen?”

“When I went out today to buy some last minute things. It just felt like someone was followin’ me.” He shivered and tried to turn it into a shrug. “Like I said, it’s probably nothing.”

“Bones, I don’t like this. I think I should –“

“You’d have to take more time off work. Don’t,” Leonard answered swiftly. “It’s not that I don’t wanna see you, darlin’. I’d just rather not make a fuss over nothing.”

Jim bit his lip. “Well … if you’re sure.”

Leonard managed a smile. “I’m sure. If it gets any worse, I’ll text you. I promise.”

Jim nodded. “Okay, Bones.”

~~~

“Uhura.”

“We’ve got a serious problem with McCoy.”

“Explain.”

“Looks like that little trip he took to Pennsylvania had a lasting effect. He’s in a relationship, and he’s moving.”

“Moving?”

“Boxes packed and everything. And the relationship is serious. They talk at least twice a day, and it seems that they have been visiting each other often. We need to abort; this won’t end well.”

“It’s too late for that, Agent. Where’s the girl now?”

“Not a girl. James Kirk. He’s in Pennsylvania right now. They probably met when McCoy hopped that train.”

“I’ll tell the extraction team to move in. Kirk will think McCoy got cold feet.”

“Ma’am –”

“I know this is not your fault, Agent. We were spread too thin to keep a close eye on McCoy these past few months. But the recruitment team is ready to go; I can’t cancel this now. Everything’s in motion.”

Sulu held back a sigh. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Standby to assist the extraction team if needed.”

“Understood.”

~~~

Jim was pouring himself a cup of coffee when his phone chirped, indicating a text message. He picked it up and smiled as he saw it was from Bones. Then he laughed out loud; the message was total gibberish, as if Bones had mashed his whole hand across the keyboard.

Jim set his mug on the counter and texted back, “LOL. Bones, did you face plant on the keyboard?”

When he didn’t get a response, he wondered if the phone had gotten squished somehow while moving all the boxes around.

Jim’s stomach was uneasy by the time he finished his coffee and bagel. He picked up his phone and hit the speed dial for Bones.  
It rang until the voicemail picked up.

Jim frowned and tried again, with the same result. This time, he left a message, “Hey, Bones, it’s me. Got a weird text from you. Just want to make sure everything’s okay. Call me.”

He told himself to be reasonable; it was moving day, and Bones might not have even heard the phone or been close to it when it rang.  
Then again, he was a doctor; he was used to keeping his phone close.

Jim called three more times before he had to leave for work. He knew he was probably being paranoid, but Bones had specifically mentioned that he felt like he was being watched again. Something wasn’t right.

~~~

“Claremont movers.”

“Hi, a friend of mine is moving, and he had an appointment today. I know this sounds a little weird, but I haven’t heard from him, and I wanted to make sure everything went okay.”

“Sir, that information is confidential –”

“He’s my friend; I already know all the confidential information. His name is Leonard McCoy, and he’s moving to –”

“Wait, McCoy?”

“Yes.”

“McCoy canceled today.”

“What?! Did he say why?”

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t have any other information. I just have a note that there was a call early this morning to cancel the appointment. He didn’t reschedule.”

“Uh … okay. Thanks.”

~~~

Leonard struggled against the restraints holding him down to the hospital bed, even though he knew this was no hospital.

“Let me out of here!” he shouted. “You can’t keep me here!”

His memories of the day so far were fuzzy. He faintly recalled getting jumped and trying to make a grab for his phone. Everything after that was a blur of strange faces, nausea, and car rides.

Finally, the door to his room opened. A petite black woman and an Asian man filed in.

“Who the hell are you? Where am I?” Leonard growled.

“Doctor McCoy, my name is Uhura. You’ve been recruited by the United States government to participate in an elite program.”

“Recruited – what the fuck, I didn’t sign up for anything! Let me go!”

“Normally, we try to zero in on intelligent people who have hit a low in their lives; they usually jump on the opportunity to do something useful.”

Leonard eyes narrowed at the Asian man. “You’ve been following me.”

“Yes.”

“We’ve been tracking you since the decline of your marriage,” Uhura continued. “You fit our requirements perfectly. However, Agent Sulu here was pulled away from your case for the past few months. We were unaware of James Kirk until recently.”

Leonard stilled. “Where’s Jim? What’ve you done with him?”

“Nothing, Doctor McCoy. He’s not the one we want. You are.”

“And I don’t get a say in this?”

“As I said, normally, we have subjects much more willing to volunteer for the process. But we have too much invested in you to pull back now. So, no, you don’t have a choice. I apologize for that.”

Leonard yanked against his bonds. “You can’t do this! Jim will look for me!”

“He won’t find you,” Sulu stated.

“I won’t do this! You can’t force me to …” Leonard trailed off as medical personnel filed into the room and prepped several syringes. “No … no, you can’t. Jim …”

“If it’s any comfort, Doctor, you won’t remember him when we’re done,” Sulu said.

Leonard’s eyes widened before he fought more viciously against the restraints. “NOO! JIM!”

~~~

Jim had taken the rest of the afternoon off work and called every mover in the Atlanta area. When none of them had heard of McCoy, he tried the ones around Allentown. When that failed, he called McCoy’s neighbors. They said that movers had appeared and taken the boxes, but they hadn’t seen Leonard all day. And the moving vans hadn’t had any writing on them.

Jim moved onto family and coworkers next. No one at the hospital had seen Bones since his last day. And none of the family – including his ex-wife – had heard anything out of the ordinary. Then again, Bones wasn’t really close to his relatives. Jim booked the next flight down to Georgia.

He sat in the airport, bouncing his leg nervously and dialed Bones again. “Bones, seriously, I’m at the airport. I’m flying down there to find you. I swear to God, if this turns out to be nothing, I’m going to kill you. _Please_ call me.”

~~~

Pike raised an eyebrow, having glanced at the piece of paper that had just been placed on his desk. “Chekov, is there something you wish to discuss? Or are you just going to resign without explaining anything?”

“It's the most recent recruitment, sir. Doctor McCoy.”

Pike raised an eyebrow. “The decision is out of your hands.”

“I know zat, sir. But it is my job to monitor the after effects when a candidate is brought it. And –”

“So, you know about Jim Kirk.”

“Yes, sir. Vhat ve've done is not right. Ve ripped McCoy out of his life, sir. And I cannot be a part of that. He was taken completely unwillingly.”

Pike seemed to consider what the young Russian had said but then changed tracks abruptly. “Is this about Agent Sulu?”

Chekov nearly jumped back in surprise. “No, sir! At least Sulu wanted to be an agent; McCoy vas given no choice. And he still has someone who cares for him.”

“The way that you care for Sulu.”

Chekov knew he was blushing but held his ground. “He does not need my help, sir. But it is not too late for McCoy. And Kirk.”

Pike shook his head. “I'm sorry, Chekov. You know how much money is invested in a single recruit. We simply weren't going to flush it away and start from scratch. And if you can't handle that, then maybe you should leave.”

Chekov raised his chin stubbornly. “I vill, sir.”

~~~

The next two months of Jim’s life passed in a blur. He had gone to Georgia and found Bones’s apartment completely empty except for his cell phone. No one had any idea who the mysterious “moving company” was. He worked with the police, but the trail went cold quickly. Jim kept at it. He tried to decipher the nonsensical text message for any clues, tried analyzing everything he and Bones had said, especially when he talked about someone following him. He hounded Bones’s coworkers until he was banned from the hospital altogether.

When his friend Scotty pointed out that perhaps McCoy had gotten cold feet, Jim told him that even if that were true, he wouldn’t leave Jim frantic like this. It was inconceivable. They hadn't been together long, but they had gotten close fast. He knew Bones; knew he wouldn't do this. Especially since Bones used to flip out on him if he hadn't called one evening. He had been so protective – something that Jim had never experienced before. He would never turned the tables and just run.

The police had admitted that the case was a little odd, since all of McCoy’s financial records up and vanished. He hadn’t gone and closed the accounts – they were literally gone and deleted. In the end, the only other theory Jim was offered was that McCoy was a gifted con artist. But if that was true, what had he been playing at? He hadn’t gotten any money or information out of Jim or anyone else he was associated with in Georgia. And all of his school records and family accounts checked out.

Jim was sure he’d been kidnapped by whoever had been following him. And even if it took him years, he was going to figure it out.  
 _  
Hold on, Bones. I’m coming. I promise._

~~~

“Agent Sulu, report.”

“Kirk is not giving up. We need to give him something.”

“All right. Set up a standard fake death –”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, I don’t think that will cut it this time. Kirk is smart. Unless he saw the body himself, he wouldn’t buy it. He’s already got conspiracy theories and –”

“Do you have another suggestion?”

“Yes, ma’am. I think the only way we’ll get through to Kirk is to tell him the truth.”

There was a long pause. “I hope you have an airtight way to make this work, Agent.”

~~~

Jim was dragged into a room, fighting all the way. He was held securely by his arms as the blindfold was finally removed. He blinked in the fluorescent light and looked around the strange room. One side of it seemed to be made of glass. 

A petite woman in a dark skirt suit stepped in front of him. "Mr. Kirk, welcome."

Jim tried to free himself. "Where the hell am I?" 

"My name is Uhura, and I can't disclose your location at this time. By all rights, you shouldn't even be here. But it has been made clear to us that if we don't throw you a bone, you are not going to let this matter rest." 

Jim's eyes narrowed. "Bones. Where is he?" 

"He's completely safe. I assure you. He was selected for an elite and top secret government project. He's been doing extremely well. But this program requires our participants to cut off all contact with anyone from their former life."

"He wouldn't leave me. You  _took_  him." 

She nodded. "We did. We don't ask for volunteers. But we usually try to pick people who can easily make a clean break. By the time we realized that you were …involved, it was too late to stop the recruitment process." 

"So, you're keeping him here against his will. I've been searching for him for months! He didn't sign up for this! Let him go!" Jim pulled against his captors, his work boots scraping uselessly on the cement floor. 

"It's not that simple. And if you calm down, I will show you why." 

Jim relaxed his stance, and the two men holding him let go and moved back to guard the door. Uhura gestured for Jim to join her at the glass windows.

Jim looked down at what appeared to be the floor of a warehouse. "What is this?"

"This is one part of our training facility."

"What are you training him for?" 

"You'll see."

Jim practically pressed himself up to the angled glass when Bones finally stepped into view. He was dressed like one of them: dark suit, white button down, and tie. He was also aiming a pistol out of front of him with both hands, moving forward slowly.

"What the hell?" Jim gasped. "He told me he could handle a rifle, but he's not comfortable with --"

Two thugs rushed around the corner, and Bones shot them efficiently. He barely blinked.

Jim felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. "Are they dead?"

She shook her head. "The gun is loaded with rubber bullets, and the targets wear protective gear."

"What have you done to him?"

"Reprogrammed him. We're making new soldiers." 

Jim laughed unsteadily. "Are you kidding me? Have you ever watched a sci-fi movie in your life?" He thumped a fist against the glass as he turned to face her. "Bones wouldn't want this. He's a doctor, for God's sake. Take it out and change him  _back_."  
   
"Mr. Kirk, the reason we brought you here was to show you that Leonard McCoy is safe and in good hands. You can now stop searching for him." 

"Are you listening to me? He wouldn't want to do this! Did you even ask?" 

"If you attempt to bring this to the media or continue your search efforts, there will be severe consequences for you, your family, and McCoy’s family. We don't usually do this, Mr. Kirk. We brought you here for closure." 

"I want to see him." 

"He won’t remember you." 

Jim lunged at her, but the guards were too quick. 

"I know it's probably the last thing on your mind, but you should be grateful," Uhura said calmly as he struggled. "Most people who have a loved one go missing never find out what happened. Now you know. Good luck moving on with your life."

"NO!" Jim screamed, straining to get free. "BONES! LET HIM GO!"

"Take him back home," Uhura said softly. 

~~~

It was another two months before Jim finally got the feeling that he was no longer being watched. Though he was furious with what had happened, he had reined in his investigations. It was the hardest thing he had ever done. It felt like admitting defeat – at least temporarily. He had packed away everything he had been working on into a box and tried to stop running clues in his brain.

It didn’t matter that they made him stop looking; everything reminded Jim of Bones anyway. Going to work reminded him of how they met, and the times they had taken trains back and forth between their homes.

He could see Bones in his dreams, sitting on his windowsill drinking coffee until Jim would drag him down to the couch for proper morning snuggling.

Their unlikely friendship had grown until Bones returned to Georgia. Jim immediately realized how much he missed McCoy, and they had started e-mailing and texting often. When Jim announced that he would be in Atlanta, sparks had flown when they saw each other again. Bones’s bitterness had dissolved enough to let something fragile grow between them.

The next few months, they talked every day, on the phone and via webcam.

Now, it was all gone.

And Jim would be damned if he would let the government steal his Bones. His cell phone rang; he puzzled over the unfamiliar number before answering. “Kirk here.”

“Mr. Kirk, my name is Pavel Chekov. And I vould like to help you find Doctor McCoy.”

~~~


	2. Chapter 2

Special Agent Jase Davidson walked through Saint Pancras station. He blended perfectly into the crowd of London businessmen and women in the evening commute. But while they were all focused on their newspapers, iPhones, and coffees, he was carefully scanning the station. He had studied the blueprints multiple times, but there was no substitute for seeing it all in person. He needed to know all possible exits, hiding places, security weaknesses. 

Instead of heading for the exit, he broke off from the crowd and headed away from the Underground platforms to the regular trains. His forged ticket fooled the guard to let him through the gate, and he stood at one of the empty platforms, presumably waiting for the next train.  
A tiny part of him relaxed as all the pieces of his plan – and multiple backup plans – settled into place perfectly. When the train arrived, he stepped into the crowd leaving it and headed back towards the gate.

He came to a dead stop and quickly moved out of the flow of foot traffic. He stared across the platform at a conductor. 

Jase knew he recognized the blond man, but he came up completely empty for a name. He subtly removed his mobile from his pocket and snapped a picture. He then merged back into the crowd and left the station. He walked back to his hotel room and made sure the room was secure before firing up his laptop. He easily hacked into the records of the train company and looked through their personnel until he found the man he was looking for: James T. Kirk. American, 25. 

Within minutes, Jase had pulled up Kirk’s driver’s licenses in the UK and the US, passport, his criminal record, and his job history. He frowned. By all accounts, Jase had never run into the man before. Nothing about any of the records seemed to be forged. It was slightly unusual that the guy had moved around a lot in the past two years.

But Jase was never wrong; the guy had been familiar. Something wasn’t right. _And why am I suddenly craving Chinese food?_

A video abruptly popped up on his screen. “Agent Davidson.”

Jase nodded. “Agent Sulu.”

“We noticed that you’ve been doing some off-mission research. Is there a problem?” 

Jase hesitated for a second. “I noticed a man at the train station today; I would swear that I recognized him, but I can’t find any evidence of it. Is there anything I should know?” 

“He’s not relevant to the mission. Ignore him.” 

“But I know that I –“

“You’re mistaken. Stay focused, Davidson.” 

Jase held back a sigh. “Understood.” 

The video disappeared from his screen along with all the information he had pulled up on James Kirk. 

Jase shook his head and began his final preparations for the next day. 

~~~

Jim sighed as he pulled into the car park. He had another long night ahead of him, conducting the sleeper train up to Edinburgh. Even though Chekov kept feeding him any clues he found, Jim was starting to lose hope after two years of hunting.

Chekov had contacted him to explain what had happened, and how he wanted to make amends for his role in it. So, he and Jim began to work together to hunt for Bones. The kid was a genius, no doubt about it. He was able to hack into secret government files, places that agents had been assigned to. And he could get Jim the paperwork he needed to live and work anywhere. London was just another city on the list for Jim. He hoped fervently that it wouldn't be a dead end, but Chekov hadn't contacted him in a few days.  
 _  
Damn it, Bones. Where the hell are you?_

The backdoor to his car opened, and someone got in. He didn’t have time to move before he felt cold metal against his neck. 

“Keep your hands on the wheel,” an American voice growled at him. “And keep facing forward.” 

Jim took a deep breath and held still. Part of him was almost glad; he had to be close to the trail if someone was threatening him. 

“Who are you?” the voice demanded. “What are you doing here?” 

“I just work here, man,” Jim answered easily.

“Don’t play with me. I know you, James Kirk. I know your face, but I don’t know why. And I’ve got an important engagement tonight, so I can’t afford to be distracted. Tell me who you are, and who you work for.” 

“Well, you already know my name. And I work for the rail. I don’t know anything –”

“Bullshit.” 

Jim frowned, and his hands grew slightly slick on the steering wheel; this wasn’t like any of the threats he had gotten before. “I don’t know what else you want from me. I’m looking for a friend of mine.” His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, but he couldn’t get a clear look at the man behind him. 

“A friend?”

Jim swallowed. “Yeah. Leonard McCoy. He was kidnapped by the United States government. My search led me here; I just work the rail to pay the bills.” 

There was a dark chuckle behind him. “Sounds like you like your conspiracy theories, kid.” 

“Whatever. I’m not armed, so are you gonna stop pointing that thing at me or –”

The window beside Jim exploded, and he ducked, trying to shield his face from the shards. Gunfire rang out, echoing in the car park. 

“Fuck! Are you hit?” 

Blood dripped into Jim’s eyes as he felt something tugging on his seatbelt. “Wha – no, I’m …” 

“Move over.” 

Jim’s reactions felt sluggish as he was forcefully pushed into the passenger’s seat. He felt a sharp prick in his arm and moaned.

“Shit. They dosed you. Hang on, kid.” 

Jim felt a little nauseous as the car lurched and veered. More gunfire erupted, closer this time. The stranger was shooting out the broken window. Jim clumsily wiped the blood from his brow and squinted. His observations were abruptly halted when the stranger gripped his neck and pushed him towards the floor. 

“Stay down!” 

Jim struggled to keep his breathing even as they sped on. He heard the window next to him shatter – outwards this time – and more gunshots. The car skidded to a stop and then sped off. Fresh air blew in through the open windows as Jim’s vision started to darken. 

“Kid, you with me? Kirk, can you hear me?” 

“Bones …” Jim moaned as the floor of his car faded to black. 

~~~

Jase pulled into the parking space behind the abandoned restaurant before gathering Kirk into his arms and carrying him inside. On any mission, he had at least a dozen safe houses all over the city, stocked with medical supplies, food, and weapons in case anything went south.

And boy, had it ever gone south. 

_I never should’ve done this_ , he scowled as he laid Jim on the metal counter in the kitchen. _This is what happens when you go off-mission._

But his curiosity about Kirk had been piqued. He had wanted answers. 

He carefully brushed the broken glass off of Kirk’s clothes with gloved hands before grabbing surgical scissors and cutting his shirts off efficiently. The kid’s chest, arms, and face were a mess of lacerations. None of them looked too serious. Jase was glad he had his medical training to fall back on. 

He felt Kirk’s pulse and confirmed that the dart he had pulled from him had been nothing more sinister than a sedative. He shucked his black overcoat, jacket, tie, leather gloves, and button down shirt before washing his hands carefully and snapping on latex gloves. He pulled out the appropriate tools and worked on carefully picking the glass out of Kirk. Hopefully, the sedative would keep him out for the duration. 

A half hour later, he had cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged all but the worst of the cuts. The one on his chest needed stitches. 

Kirk groaned.

Jase reached into his jacket and pulled out his handcuffs, snapping one around Kirk’s left hand, and the other to the leg of the table. Never hurt to be cautious. 

Kirk groaned again, and his brilliant blue eyes blinked open before widening almost comically. “Bones? Bones!” 

Jase blinked. “What?” 

“Bones, I can’t believe I found you! I –” He frowned as he noticed his cuffed wrist. “What the hell, man? What’s going on?” 

“You … know me?” Jase ventured. Between conspiracy theories and spouting random words, he was starting to worry about the kid’s sanity. 

“Bones, you don’t … you don’t know who I am?” Kirk seemed to deflate a little and sagged back against the table. 

“I know who you are, but I’ve never met you,” Jase clarified. 

“Shit,” Kirk swore. 

“I need to stitch you up. I got all of the glass out, and none of the cuts are that bad. But the one on your chest needs stitches.” 

“I didn’t recognize your voice before; your accent’s gone.” 

Jase shook his head and reached for the syringe of anesthetic. He stopped before injecting it. 

Kirk looked up at him. “What?” 

“You’re … allergic.” He stared at the syringe as if he had never seen it before. “How … _how_ do I know that?” 

“Because you know me, Bones.”

“No, I don’t!” Jase snapped. “And that’s not my name!” 

Kirk merely raised an eyebrow. “Then how did you know I’m allergic?” 

Jase scowled and set aside the syringe of benzocaine. He rummaged around until he found a tube of topical lidocaine. “This won’t be quite as good. Sorry about that.” 

“I’ll manage,” Kirk answered. 

Jase tried to focus on the pale, muscled skin under his gloved hand as he worked. Then he realized that was almost as distracting. 

“You know, the first time we met, you were stitching me up within a few hours. Guy came at me with a knife in a bar fight. After I stumbled home, you patched me up.” 

Jase shook his head. “If that had happened, I would remember. Stop trying to trick me.” 

“I’m not, Bo –”

“Jase. My name’s Jase Davidson.” 

Kirk was quiet for a minute. “Call me Jim.” 

Jase picked up the scissors and cut off the tail of the thread. 

Kirk pulled restlessly against the cuff. “I’m not going anywhere. Let me go?” 

“No,” Jase answered firmly. “I don’t trust you.” And yet, he had already jeopardized his entire career for the guy. He tried not to think about it; there had to be a way to put it all back together. 

“Who was shooting at us?” 

Jase shook his head as he wiped up any remaining blood from Kirk’s skin. “I don’t know yet. But I’ll find out.” He paused. “Is anyone after you?” 

Kirk shrugged his right shoulder. “I get threatened sometimes, when I’m investigating. And one time, they grabbed me and … look, this is complicated.” He eyed the holster and gun Jase was wearing over his white tank top. “So, you work for the government, right?” 

Jase glared. “You don’t need to know.” 

Kirk glared right back. “Hey, I’m the one they were shooting at and drugging. I think I have a right to know!” 

Jase turned away as his mobile rang. “Davidson.”

“Agent, there’s been a misunderstanding. Are you still with Kirk?”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“We were attempting to take him into custody. The agents didn’t realize that you were in the vehicle. They’re traveling to your location and will retrieve him. You can still make the train tonight.” 

Jase looked down at Kirk. “Ma’am, why is Kirk being detained?”

“That’s not your mission, Davidson. You don’t need to know.”

“He says he knows me.”

“He’s delusional. Don’t believe a word he says.”

Kirk frowned. “She’s telling you not to believe me, right? Jase, you need to listen to me. They’ve been lying to you. Your whole life is a lie!” 

“Ma’am, I recognized Kirk. I know him from somewhere, but I can’t find it in his file.”

“Davidson, we’re done here. Have Kirk ready for transport.” The line went dead.

“Listen to me! You’re Leonard McCoy. That’s your real name. The government kidnapped you and brainwashed you. Whatever they told you about your past, it’s not real. Was that Uhura?”

Jase’s eyes widened as he set down the phone. “How did you –”

“I’m telling you the truth.” He reached out and grabbed Jase’s hand. “Please, believe me. They’re coming, right? They’re trying to separate us, because they don’t want you to remember.” 

Jase pulled away. “Shut up.”

“This isn’t what you want! You’re a doctor; you don’t kill people. Do you ever feel like you were meant for something better than this?” 

Jase froze, letting Jim’s words sink in. He wasn’t sure he trusted the kid, and it would definitely tank his career … but he needed answers. He tossed his phone into the trash before leaning down and unlocking the cuffs. “Damn it. Come on. We need to move. Now.” 

Jim grinned. “You won’t regret this Bo – Jase.”

Jase rolled his eyes and threw him a clean t-shirt. “I already do.” 

~~~

Jim let Bones – Jase, for now – drag him out of the restaurant and over to the nearest parked car. Jase pulled him out of sight and motioned for him to stay put. Jim was impressed as he watched Jase break into and hotwire the car in record time.

They both got into the car, and Jase took off like a bat out of hell. 

Jim heard a click and noticed that Jase was keeping a small pistol aimed at him as he drove. 

“Hey, look. Whatever else is happening, I don’t want to hurt you. You don’t need to –”

“I don’t trust you, Kirk.”

Jim sighed. “Where are your cuffs?”

Jase raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You might need both hands. Give me your cuffs. I’m trying to get you to trust me.” 

After a moment, Jase holstered the gun, dug the cuffs out of his pocket and threw them to Jim. 

Jim took them and locked his wrists together in front of him. “That better?” 

Jase grunted in reply, driving them swiftly through the back alleys of London. 

“I have proof, you know. I can show you what I’ve been working on.”

“If we go back to your place, they’ll be all over us.”

Jim shook his head. “No, it’s at Paddington station in a locker. I’ve got everything important there.” 

Jase huffed. “This whole thing’s risky.”

Jim grinned at him. “Hey, it wouldn’t be fun otherwise, right?” When Jase didn’t reply, he added, “Don’t you want to know who you really are? An answer for all those little things that just don’t add up? Like how you know my allergies, and I know that you hate to fly?” 

Jase’s gaze snapped over to him briefly. “You’ve been spying on me.”

“Listen to yourself. Even if I had, how would I know that? I’m sure you don’t show it. Also, you’re a good enough operative to know when someone’s following you.”

He watched Jase turning over that information and wished he could just reach out and touch him. Nearly two and a half years was a long time. 

“So … how do you know me?” 

“We’re friends.”

“Just friends? You turned your whole life upside down looking for me.”

“Okay, we’re a little more than friends, but I didn’t want to freak you out.” 

“How long did we know each other?” 

“About six months.”

“That’s it?”

“It was enough,” Jim said, a touch defensively. 

“Then what happened?”

“You were moving from Georgia to Pennsylvania. I got a weird text message from you and then nothing. You were gone, as was all your stuff. But no moving company in the area did it. I looked everywhere; I got the police involved – nothing.”

“How’d you know I didn’t just run?” 

“Because you wouldn’t do that. And I was proved right. Two months later, I got grabbed by your friend Uhura. She told me – and showed me – what they had turned you into. Said they basically brainwashed you into a new person. Then they dropped me on my ass and threatened me if I kept looking. I stopped until I was sure they weren’t watching anymore.” 

“It just doesn’t … this doesn’t make any damn sense. Are you sure you don’t have me confused with someone else?”

“I’m positive. You’re Leonard McCoy.” 

Jase was silent for a moment. “Then why do you call me Bones?” 

“Because you’re a doctor. And when I met you, you were newly divorced and said that all your ex had left you was your bones.” 

Jase jammed on the brakes, clutching his head in his hands.

“Jase?!” 

Jase groaned. “Nngh … my head – it’s _killing_ me.” 

Jim tried to stay calm. “Okay, try to just breathe. It might be that you’re fighting whatever they used to brainwash you.” 

“J-J-Jocelyn … why is – who’s that?”

Jim’s heart started to pound. “That’s your ex-wife’s name. What else can you remember?” 

“Your cut … the one I stitched up … it was over your eyebrow.”

“Yes! See, you’re remembering!” 

Jase straightened up and shook his head. “No. It’s not proof. You could just be telling me what I want to hear.”

Jim swallowed hard. “I’d show you the scar, but you were too good. Okay, then let’s go to the station and get the proof.” 

Jase nodded and avoided looking at Jim as they drove off. 

~~~

“It’s not good, ma’am. Davidson escaped with Kirk,” Sulu reported. 

“Has he remembered?”

“Hard to tell. But it seems likely that Kirk will try. What are the odds he’ll succeed?”

“Uncertain.” She sighed. “I should have called off his recruitment once we found about the new emotional attachment. Well, we’re in too deep now. If we can salvage Davidson, we’ve got to try. Find them. I’ll inform Pike.”

Sulu didn’t envy her. “Yes, ma’am.” 

~~~

Jase pulled into a parking spot and looked around. “Looks clear.”

“Good. Uncuff me, and we’ll get the stuff out of the locker.” 

Jase shook his head. “You’re staying here. I can’t easily protect you out there if we run into trouble.” He got out of the car and reached back in, yanking Jim over to the driver’s seat. He ignored his protests as he re-cuffed him to the steering wheel. 

“You can’t leave me here like this! Now I’m helpless! What am I supposed to if someone finds me?” 

“Does anyone know about the locker?”

“No.”

“Then they shouldn’t be looking here yet. Tell me where the locker is. Do you have the key?” 

Jim nodded and told him where to find the locker. “Key’s in my pocket. I always keep it handy.” 

Jase reached down and fished in the pocket of Jim’s jeans and firmly ignored the leer on the kid’s face. “There’s nothing there.”

Jim smirked. “Other pocket.” 

Jase growled and searched the other pocket until his fingers closed around the small key. 

“Was it good for you, Agent?” 

Jase ignored him and slammed the car door shut, stomping off towards the station. He tried to push the feelings out of his mind – exasperation, excitement, lust … and something else startlingly familiar. 

~~~

Jim squirmed impatiently. When it was clear that he couldn’t get out of the cuffs, he tried to figure out if he could get the steering wheel off; he didn’t want them to grab Bones again now that he finally had him back. He managed to find the bolts, but he would need tools to unscrew them. 

He sat back; he was stuck. _And I have to piss. Perfect._

Still, it was a minor inconvenience compared to finally finding Bones after all these years. _I just hope I can get him back. All of him._ He winced and looked down at the spot of blood on his shirt. _Shit. Bones will kill me if I messed up his work._

Jim forced himself to relax, feeling the faint sting leftover from his wounds. It was probably a good thing that Bones had gone in alone. All of the cuts all over his face and arms probably would have drawn unwanted attention. 

~~~

Jase tried to stay calm as he sorted through the papers and photos in the locker. He had pulled out picture after picture of himself with Jim. None of it felt familiar. It could have been photoshopped. Then he came across one picture of himself that Jim had obviously taken. He froze, staring at the face that had been circled in red in the background.

“Sulu?” he whispered. 

Jase dropped everything as white hot pain ripped through his head. He clung onto the lockers to stay upright and forced himself to take a deep breath instead of vomiting. 

_“Jim, do you ever get the feeling that someone’s watchin’ you?”_

_Jim laughed easily. “Well, I get stalked by pretty girls from time to time.” His smile faded. “Oh, you were serious. Bones, is everything okay?”_

_He forced an uneasy smile. “I think so. I’m probably just paranoid.”_

Jase shook his head as the locker in front of him came back into focus. It was starting to come back. He realized his hands were shaking as he gathered up everything from the locker and stuffed it into a plastic bag. _Jim wasn’t lying_ , he thought. _There is something wrong with me. And Sulu and Uhura know about it._

He shut the locker and started walking back to the car park. He suddenly wanted to see Jim, be close to him. 

_I have to be careful, he told himself. I can’t trust anyone. But … if Jim is telling the truth, the Agency will do anything to keep him away from me and keep me from learning the truth._

He quickened his pace and felt a measure of relief when he spotted blond hair in the stolen car. Jim grinned at him as his eyes took in the bag in his hand, and he realized after a moment that he was smiling back. 

He unlocked the driver’s door, leaned down, and kissed Jim’s full mouth. 

Jim made a noise of surprise but kissed back eagerly. 

And it felt so right, the way they fit together, breathed together.

Jase pulled back, so he could look into those bright blue eyes that had gone slightly hazy.

“Bones …”

The moment was lost; Jase couldn’t remember when Jim had christened him that, or when they had met. He shook his head. “I don’t … I don’t remember. I just …”

The handcuffs clacked as Jim moved reflexively to touch him but couldn’t. “It’s okay. Just take it slow. Things’ll probably come back in bits and pieces. Don’t force it.” 

Jase leaned down and unlocked the cuffs, and Jim climbed back over to the passenger’s seat. He handed Jim the bag of pictures and papers and then got into the driver’s seat. “It’s late. I’ve got a place we can go.”

Jim held out his wrists.

Jase shook his head. “I don’t remember everything, but I trust you enough not to kill me.”

Jim grinned. “All right. Let’s go with that.” 

~~~

Jim’s eyebrows went shooting up as he followed Jase into a swank hotel. “Nice.”

Jase grunted in response, using a keycard to call the lift. 

“Guess being a spy has its perks,” Jim said, looking all around. 

“Keep it down,” Jase murmured. “Those cuts on your face draw enough attention.”

Jim rolled his eyes as the lift doors opened. “Seriously? There’s no one around.” He looked nervously at the camera inside the lift. “Um, so I take it your bosses don’t know where this place is?” 

“The fewer people know where you are, the safer you are,” Jase answered as he pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. “No one’s following us yet. I’d be able to tell.” 

“And if they do?”

Jase shrugged. “We run like hell.”

“Are we marked as traitors? Terrorists?”

Jase shook his head. “No one knows about this organization. Technically, I don’t exist. So, at least we don’t have to worry about Interpol trying to track us down.” The lift came to a stop, and the doors opened smoothly. 

Jim felt out of place in his borrowed t-shirt, wrinkled pants, and bloodied face. Luckily, no one was in the pristine hallway with its cream carpets and gilded mirrors. His eyes nearly fell out of his head when they finally stepped inside the suite. It was spacious with expensive furniture and a stunning view of the city. 

Jase ignored Jim’s gawking, picked up the phone, and ordered room service. He put down the phone with a puzzled look on his face.

“Everything okay?” Jim asked. 

Jase nodded. “It’s just … you’re allergic to dairy. And walnuts.” 

Jim smiled in response. “Yeah.” 

“I keep remembering random things,” Jase said, going to a cupboard and pulling out a handle of bourbon. “It’s strange … like they don’t quite fit into my life.” 

Jim stepped closer. “We’ll figure it out. Can you remember anything else? What about your childhood?” 

“I remember … it all seems so distant.” He poured the bourbon into a glass and sipped it. “For all I know, those bastards took my whole past and rewrote it.” Jase poured more bourbon.

Jim put his hand on top of the glass. “Maybe you shouldn’t have more to drink while we’re working on this.” He kept his tone gentle; he was worried that Jase/Bones was going to snap at any moment. He had no idea what they had actually done to him to make him “forget.” 

Jase nodded and shoved the glass aside, pacing in front of the large window. 

“Let’s try working backwards,” Jim suggested. “What were you doing when you saw me?” 

Jase spared a moment to glare at him. “That’s classified.”

“So, you were on a mission.”

“Listen, I remember the past two years absolutely clearly. All my missions, training, everything. They train us to remember everything.”

“How did they recruit you?”

“Sulu approached me.”

“Where?” Jim was relentless. He hoped that if he poked enough holes in the “constructed” memories, they would start to fall apart.

“At … a restaurant? No … wait. A bar.” 

“Where?” 

“Los Angeles.” 

“How’d he find you?” 

“He said they had been watching me.” 

“Well, that part’s true.” 

Jase paced restlessly. “So the rest of it isn’t? I mean, I saw fucking Sulu in the background of one of those pictures. What the hell happened, Jim?” 

“Take it easy. I’m trying to figure out what lies they fed you, so we can –”

“No. I want to know what really happened. Tell me.” 

Jim sighed. “Let’s try this. You tell me your version of your story. Then I’ll tell you mine.” 

Jase nodded and sat down at the large desk, pulling out his laptop. 

Jim’s eyes widened at how quickly he accessed information. He came to stand right behind the chair and stared at the screen.  
A birth certificate popped up. “Starting at the beginning. Jason Davidson born 1981 in Danbury, Connecticut to Robert and Elizabeth Davidson.” He pulled up what looked to be yearbook photos but then stopped and went back to the birth certificate. 

“What’s wrong?” Jim asked.

Jase leaned forward and stared at the screen. “This has been altered. See? Look at the way those lines don’t quite match up …” He zoomed in to look at the individual pixels. “Damn it, I _know_ how to do this shit. And someone did it to me!” 

“Jase –”

He shook his head and started madly clicking through yearbook photos, school records, and medical records. “Goddamnit! Jim, there’s no story to tell here, because these are all fake!” 

“Can you remember your childhood?”

“Faintly … like … everything’s just snapshots.”

“What did the kitchen smell like in your childhood home?”

Jase finally turned to face him. “What?”

“What was your favorite dish your mom or dad used to make? What did it smell like? Tell me something I wouldn’t be able to find in a picture.”

“I … I don’t know. Good God, I can’t even remember what I liked to do as a kid … what color my bike was …”

“Okay, just try to stay calm –”

“Damn it, I’m not going to stay calm! My whole life is a lie!” He stood up and resumed pacing in front of the window. “Everything’s falling apart … there are so many gaps in my memory.” 

“I don’t imagine you’ve had a lot of time to stop and think about it. That’s how their program works. You don’t examine your life; you just accept it.” 

Jase stood still. “How do I know you’re gonna tell me the truth, Jim?” 

Jim filed through his papers and handed one to Jase. “Here, this is a notarized copy of your real birth certificate.” 

Jase took it and studied it. “Leonard McCoy. What the hell kind of middle name is Horatio?” 

Jim chuckled. “It’s a good, Shakespearean name. Besides, I’ve got you beat.” 

“Tiberius.” 

Jim blinked. “You remember –”

“No. I read it when I looked up your info.” He handed the paper back to Jim. “It looks authentic, but I can’t remember my parents.”

“Okay, one thing at a time. Let’s try something a little different.” Jim sifted through the pile and produced a Ziploc bag with a thin square inside it. He handed it to Jase. 

“What’s that?” 

“Open it up, and you tell me.” 

Jase examined the square. “Fabric. Looks like a piece of a quilt.”

“Open it and inhale.” 

Jase raised an eyebrow.

“Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory.” Jim held his breath as he watched Jase open the bag and take out the square of fabric, turned it over a few times and then held it close and sniffed carefully. 

Jase’s hazel eyes slipped closed. “Gram …” 

_Yes_ , Jim thought, slowly letting out the breath he was holding.

When the man across from him opened his eyes and glared, it wasn’t Jase. It was Bones with a look Jim knew all too well. “Did you take scissors to my Gram’s quilt, Jim?” 

_Southern drawl and all_ , Jim thought smugly. “Your mother allowed me to take one square when I explained the situation – or tried to. I managed to convince them that this would help, and I was right.” 

Jase shook his head. “What the hell? I …” He dropped the fabric and took a few wobbly steps backwards. 

Jim leapt forward. “Whoa, hang on –“

Jase’s eyes flashed, and he shoved Jim back. “GET AWAY FROM ME!” 

Jim stepped back and held up his hands. “Okay, take it easy. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to help.” 

Jase backed up against the window, holding both arms out in front of him. “Stay back!” 

“I am,” Jim said steadily. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just … take it easy. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now, but I only want to help you.” 

Jase let his hands drop a bit but remained firmly pressed back against the glass. “It’s … trickling … like my memories were frozen, and they’re startin’ to thaw.” 

Jim tried not to smile at the Southern drawl creeping back into his voice. “Try to just let it happen. Don’t force it; don’t fight it.” 

“But … there’s something else too. Whatever they programmed me to do … it’s telling me to run.”

“And go where?”

“Back to them. Like I’m … broken or sick and need them to fix it.” He slowly slid down the window until he was sitting on the floor.

Jim crouched in front of him. “You’re in control here. You don’t have to do what they want you to. They kidnapped you and brainwashed you, and we’re gonna fix it.” 

They both looked up at the knock on the door.

“That’ll be room service. I’ll get it.” 

“No,” Jase said, standing and going to the door. “Stay back. Just in case.” He motioned Jim to stay out of sight before answering the door and accepting the tray of food. 

Jim’s mouth watered at the smell since he hadn’t eaten all day. He followed Jase as he set the tray down on the desk and started uncovering things. He paused before stuffing a role into his mouth. “Keep talking. Keep telling me what’s going on.” 

Jase left the food untouched and sat down on the bed, running his hands through his hair. “Is it real, Jim? All these things I’m remembering?” 

Jim swallowed. “Yeah. It’s real.” He picked up the other half of his roll and a stack of pictures from the desk. He sat down carefully next to Jase and handed him the pile. “Just go through them slowly. Don’t panic if something doesn’t look familiar.” 

Jase nodded and accepted the pictures. The first one was of Bones sitting at the window, sipping coffee. Jase squinted at it. “That … that’s your place. In Allentown.”

Jim grinned. “Yup. And ask me anything you want. I mean, it’s probably better if you remember it yourself, but –”

“I … I told you off for snappin’ pictures of me like a damn paparazzi.”

“It was worth it. It’s a good picture.” 

Jase continued going slowly through the pictures and was able to remember where most of them had been taken. Weekend trips, Jim’s visits to Atlanta, random pictures Jim would take during the day and send to Bones on his phone. 

“I complained that you were interruptin’ my day,” Jase said slowly, his drawl increasing. “But … I didn’t – I liked it. It was nice to know … you were thinkin’ about me.”

Jim wanted to hug him. “I never stopped thinking about you. That’s why I kept searching for you.” 

When they had finished the pile of pictures, Jim brought plates over to the bed, and they ate in silence. 

Jim was just eating his last French fry, when Bones commented, “I remember them taking me.” 

Jim nearly choked on said fry but managed to get it down as Bones thumped him on the back. “What happened?”

“I thought they were the movers; they had a van and everything. Then they grabbed me and drugged me. I don’t know where they took me. But Uhura and Sulu were there, and they told me what was going to happen. I tried to refuse, but they ignored me.” He stood, hands clenching to fists. “And then they fucking _erased my life_!” 

Jim got to his feet. “I know, Bones. But we can go public –“

“We can’t. They’ve got contingencies for that. They’ll just reprogram me and dump you in a mental institution.” 

“Okay. So, we run. We keep moving. We don’t let them find us.” Slowly, he reached out and closed his fingers around Bones’s wrist. “I’m not gonna lose you again.” 

Bones turned to face him. “Jim … are you sure? Do you know what you’d be giving up?”

Jim chuckled. “Don’t you see, Bones? I already did. You read my file. I packed up my life and went hunting for you.” 

“You said they tried to stop you.”

Jim nodded. “They showed me what they’d done to you; thought it might give me closure.” 

Bones gripped Jim’s hand and pulled him closer. “They hurt you?” 

Jim shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” 

“I could have killed you. Sitting in that car at the station. I had no idea who you were, or why you were familiar. Jesus, Jim, I had a loaded gun to your head.”

Jim touched his fingertips to Bones’s chin. “You were still in there, Bones. You wouldn’t have shot me.” 

“How can you be so damn sure?” 

Jim smirked. “I know.” 

“You don’t know what they did to me. Hell, I don’t know what they did to me.” 

“But I know you.” He closed the gap between them and kissed him. 

Bones went still for a moment before his hands drifted up Jim’s arms, pulling him closer. 

Jim pulled back a little. “How does that feel? Familiar?” 

A small smile touched Bones’s mouth. “New and familiar at the same time.” 

Jim grinned back. “Well, take all the time you want to ‘remember,’ Bones. I’ve been waiting two years just to see you again.” 

~~~

Leonard knew that Jim probably hadn’t expected to be taken at his word. But Leonard was nothing if not methodical. He pushed Jim back onto the bed and kissed him again, letting just his fingertips skim down Jim’s chest and under the hem of his shirt. He knew the idea was ridiculous, but it felt like he could actually feel synapses firing and making connections at every bit of skin he touched. 

Jim made a soft purr of pleasure, moving to pull up his shirt.

Leonard shook his head and gently pushed Jim’s hands away. He let his own hands wander over Jim’s shirt, marveling at how familiar it did feel, and how he was starting to remember how it felt underneath the shirt, too. His fingers trembled slightly, as they stroked the sensitive spot on Jim’s neck. “I can’t remember it all, Jim. Some things are still … gone.”

Jim’s eyes fluttered open. “It’s okay, Bones. Just take it one thing at a time.” 

Leonard nodded and leaned down to replace his fingers with his mouth, gently kissing at first and then sucking and licking until Jim arched and squirmed underneath him, moaning. 

“Unh … you remember _that_ I see,” he gasped. 

Leonard chuckled in the back of his throat, letting his fingers move back down to the hem of Jim’s shirt and pulling it up. He detached his mouth from Jim’s skin long enough to get the shirt off. He was about to settle himself back against Jim’s neck, but Jim held stopped him and started pushing the rumpled white button-down off his shoulders. His eyes closed, and he shivered when Jim’s fingertips drifted over his collarbone. 

“I remember, too, Bones,” Jim said. 

Leonard could _hear_ the smirk in his voice. He shied away when Jim touched the holster. He fought down the instinct to draw his gun and push Jim back. 

“Bones?” 

“Sorry –”

“No, don’t be. Just tell me what you need, babe.” 

Leonard opened his eyes and gently pulled Jim’s hands away before sitting up and unbuckling his holster. He emptied the magazine from the gun and checked the chamber before setting it all aside. “They’re still – I’m still what they made me, Jim. I’m dangerous.” 

Jim sat up, wrapping his arms around his neck. “I don’t care. We’ll figure it out.” 

Thought blanked out when Jim kissed him ferociously, nipping at his lips and jaw, hands massaging his hips possessively. “Told you – not gonna lose you again. You’re still Bones. They couldn’t destroy that.” 

Leonard’s arms wrapped around Jim’s back, holding him close. The warning bells in his head quieted a bit as the memories of being with Jim drifted back to him. Little snatches of sounds, smells, tastes, and touches – Jim’s terrible morning breath, his talented tongue on Leonard’s cock, the taste of sweat that would pool around Jim’s collarbone as they made love. 

He wanted it all back. 

Jim gave a short squawk as Leonard shoved him back down onto the bed and started undoing his jeans. “Bones –” 

“Shut up, Jim.” He covered those plush lips with his own as he shoved Jim’s jeans and boxers down. Jim obliged him by kicking them the rest of the way off while Leonard sat up quickly and unbuckled his belt. 

“Don’t suppose spies carry lube in their back pockets,” Jim teased as Leonard stood and stepped out of his pants and briefs. 

“Nope. But I’ve got some other ideas.” He shoved Jim back down and swallowed his erect cock in one go. Leonard moaned around it; none of this was strange or foreign to him. It was all real. This was his life. His lover. His Jim. He wrenched mewling sounds from Jim as he worked his shaft up and down with his lips and tongue. He pulled back and teased the slit with his tongue and bottom lip. 

“FUCK! Bones!” Jim yelled. 

Leonard grinned and leaned up to kiss him soundly. He gasped into Jim’s mouth as a hot hand circled his length. Jim stroked him a few times and then gently urged Leonard forward, taking both their cocks in hand. Leonard groaned as he quickly became coated with his own saliva as Jim pumped them both. “Jim … fuck – how could I –”

“Shut up, Bones.” Jim pulled him back down for a kiss. Leonard felt the heat coiled in his belly rapidly unraveling. He wrapped his hand around Jim’s as they came together, spurting all over their fingers. 

Leonard groaned and slowly lowered himself onto the bed beside Jim. 

“That feel familiar at all?” Jim asked, licking their fingers. “Remember me now?” 

“I remember you, Jim,” Leonard answered with a wry smile. “How could I forget?”


	3. Chapter 3

Jim had let Bones drag him from the luxurious hotel room much earlier than he would have normally liked. After showering together – and “remembering” some more – Bones had quickly thrown him some clean clothes that fit a little loosely. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Jim asked as they got back into the car. 

“We need to get out London or out of the country. Do you have your passport on you?” 

Jim shook his head. “It’s back at my place.” 

“Damn it. Well, I guess we’ll just have to do it the hard way then.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” 

Bones smirked at him. “I’m a spy, Jim. I know how to make a fake passport when needed.” 

“You know, I _know_ I shouldn’t think that’s hot, but I really kinda do.” 

Bones chuckled, but he looked anything but relaxed.

“So … what should I be on the lookout for?” 

“Dark, unmarked vehicles mostly. Just tell me if you notice _anything_ that seems off, okay?”

Jim nodded. 

“And let me take care of it. I know what I’m doing –”

“Bones, I can handle myself in a fight –”

“Jim, these are professional killers. Until we get some more distance between us and them, you do what I tell you. We found each other, Jim, but to get out of this, you need to trust me.” 

Jim briefly placed his hand over Bones’s hand on the clutch. “I always do, Bones.” 

Bones met his eyes briefly before concentrating on the road again. It was quiet as they made their way through the busy London traffic.

Finally, Bones said, “Thanks for not givin’ up on me Jim.” 

“Thanks for taking a chance on me, Bones. I know it wasn’t easy to disobey orders like that.” 

Bones shrugged. “Eh. I could either listen to Uhura and end up on a sleeper train to Edinburgh in a tiny little cabin or take advantage of the hot, half-conscious, half-clothed blond on my table. Not a hard choice.” 

Jim laughed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard. It had been years. 

~~~

After stopping for food, supplies, and clothes, Leonard drove them out into the English countryside. He kept stealing glances at Jim, half-afraid he might disappear. Jim, however, was completely captivated by the scenery. 

“Didn’t you ever make it out of the city in the three months you’ve been here?” 

“No,” Jim admitted. “I spent most nights poring over my notes and searching for more clues. The trail was drying up.”

“What did you have to go on?” 

“I had Uhura’s name, Sulu’s face. And I just started digging for unexplained things: unsolved murders, theft … disappearance of bees …”

Leonard chuckled. “And watching _Doctor Who_ reruns while you were at it.”

“I also had help from someone who used to work at the Agency. Pavel Chekov?”

“Don't know him. You sure we can trust him?”

“Absolutely. I've been working with him for years. And he did help me find you.”

Leonard pulled the car into a long, dirt driveway. 

“Where the hell are we?” 

“It’s a farm. The owner rents out part of the house.”

“When did you make those arrangements?”

“Haven’t yet. Just had it on my list of safe houses, in case I needed it. I’ll pay in cash. Wait here.” 

~~~

Jim flopped onto the worn leather couch after unpacking the food. He looked around happily at the quaint furniture and beautiful garden just outside the bay window. “Man, Bones, you know how to show a man a good time. Luxurious hotels, secret country retreats …”

“Well, enjoy it while you can, brat,” Bones grumbled, spreading his supplies all over the dining room table. “Never know where we might end up next.” 

“Need any help with that?” 

“I’ll let you know if I do.”

Jim smirked. “I’ll bet surgical precision comes in handy for that kind of stuff.” 

Bones laughed. “Yes. Yes, it does.” 

“Any idea why they picked you for this program?” 

Bones’s smile faded. “They said they picked intelligent people who had hit a low in their lives. But they didn’t count on you comin’ in and –” He blushed. 

“Making you blush? Which is so freaking adora –”

“Remember who holds the gun here, Jim.” 

“Yeah, about that, actually. I know you’ve got to have more than one.” 

Bones nodded. “I do. I grabbed some from the hotel and packed them while you were in the shower.” He looked up briefly. “You know how to shoot?” 

“Yeah.”

“Good. Though once we get plane tickets, we’ll have to ditch everything before we get to the airport. It’ll raise less suspicion.” 

Jim flopped into one of the chairs and forced himself to sit still and watch Bones work. 

“You’re starin’, kid. Something on your mind?” 

“Just … it’s weird. I knew it would be like this, knew you would have some new skills, but … it’s still weird. I’m used to seeing you stitch people up, not make up fake documents.” 

Bones didn’t look up. “They taught me how to take people apart, Jim. Like it or not, that shit is stuck with me. I’d rather it wasn’t.”

“I’m sorry –”

“Not your fault.” He paused for a second. “Does that … change things between us?” 

Jim shook his head. “No way. You’re still you, even with all your mad spy skillz.” 

Bones still wouldn’t look at him. “I’ve killed people, Jim. Tortured people. And I never once questioned any of it.” 

“That’s how they programmed you, Bones. And I understand that. You were conditioned. Think about it now. Do you want to hurt anyone?” 

Bones paused again. “No. I … I’m a doctor, damn it.” 

Jim smiled faintly. “I know, Bones. And that’s how I know it’s gonna be okay. Whatever they made you into, it was against your will. No part of you wanted it.” 

Bones nodded, going back to his work. “That’s why what you said to me rang so true. I realized I had no idea why I was doing any of it.”   
They were quiet again for a while. 

Finally, Jim got up and stood behind Bones, massaging his shoulders. He had put a lot of muscle since the last time they had seen each other. 

“None of this changes how I feel about you, Bones.” 

“It doesn’t change how I feel about you either.” 

Jim smiled and kissed the back of his neck. “Good.” 

~~~

Leonard remembered that Jim had difficulty sitting still and staying out of trouble. Either he had mellowed in the past two years, or he was making a special effort given the current situation. He kept himself occupied by building a fire in the fireplace and then – with Leonard’s permission – cleaning the guns he had grabbed. 

Leonard was pleased to see Jim’s skill in handling the weapons – and then immediately annoyed at himself for thinking that way. _That’s their thinking, not mine._ Jim offered to make dinner after thoroughly cleaning the gun grease off his hands, of course. 

_How is this going to work?_ Leonard wondered. _We just keep running until … until what? The Agency just gives up on me?_

“I can hear you thinking from here, Bones! Relax. Everything will work out!” Jim called from the kitchen.

Leonard smiled. It was surprising how well they knew each other, how well they fit together. Maybe they could make it, find a way. If he could get far enough, maybe he could contact Uhura and tell her that he had no intention of going public. There had to be some way to get them to see reason, some way to make them understand that their programming was flawed. 

His thoughts drifted as he continued to work. He had to admit; he liked his newfound ability to seriously multitask. While he worked carefully with the illegal materials to modify one of his old passports for Jim, he could still think about other things. It would probably come in handy when performing surgery. Maybe there was a silver lining after all.

 _If any hospital lets me near them_ , he thought. _I’ll be a fugitive on the run. Who would want a doctor like that?_

“Bones? You done yet?” 

“Almost, Jim. You can’t rush these things.”

“Just asking. I’ll leave dinner warming in the oven then.” By the smell, Jim had made them something terribly British – Shepherd’s Pie or bangers and mash. He’d been too preoccupied scanning the store for anyone out of place to notice what Jim had bought. His stomach abruptly growled loudly, and Leonard decided he could use a break. He set the materials carefully aside and helped Jim dish out the Shepherd’s Pie. 

“I can’t remember … did you used to be able to cook?” Leonard asked as they tucked in. 

Jim chuckled. “I can. I just don’t most times. And a lot of times when you came over, we would order takeout. We were kinda … busy, you know.” He winked. 

Leonard rolled his eyes. “That’s right. The Golden Maple must have made a fortune off us.” 

“Their scallion pancakes were the best.” 

“Even though I yelled at you every time for eating those unhealthy things?” 

“Especially because of that,” Jim answered, leaning in to kiss him. 

Leonard kissed back, and more memories began to reform in his mind. He could almost taste soy sauce on Jim’s tongue. They often made plans to go out for the evening but would end up tearing off each other’s clothes before they would make it out the door. 

_Jim grabbed from the phone as Leonard pulled down his jeans and started working his cock. “FUCK!” Jim yelled as he hit speed dial._

_“Bones, Jesus, slow down!”_

_“Not tonight, darlin’.”_

_“Uh, yes, hello? Delivery … yes, it’s – it’s Kirk. The usual for two? Yeah, thanks …” he clicked the phone off as Leonard swallowed him down. “Fuck!”_

“I still think the delivery girls fought over who got to bring our dinner,” Jim said as he leaned back in his chair. 

Leonard chuckled. “I seem to recall it sometimes took more than one girl to deliver the food.” 

Jim grinned at him. “They were just tryin’ to get a glimpse of your ass.”

Leonard rolled his eyes again. “At least we were always … in between rounds when they rang the bell.”

“Yeah, we had the timing down to a science, Bones. It was awesome.” Jim looked over at the documents. “How’s it going?” 

“Pretty well. I should be able to finish it tonight. Then tomorrow, we’ll go to Heathrow and try to get the hell out of here.”

“Where are we going?” 

Leonard shrugged. “I’ve got a few other safe houses, but they’ll at least know what countries to look in. We should probably go somewhere I’ve never been before. That way, they won’t have anywhere to start looking.” 

“You’ve been working there for two years. Where haven’t you been?” 

Leonard smiled. “Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Italy.” 

Jim’s jaw dropped open a little. “Really?! I’ve always wanted to go!” 

Leonard reached out and ruffled his hair. “Aw, you really are just a country boy at heart, arentcha? Went from Iowa to Pennsylvania and then –“

Jim batted him away. “Yeah, yeah. Then I started making repeat trips to Georgia for some reason.” He took a long drink of water. “And then … well, I finally had a reason to get out of the country. I was willing to go anywhere to find you.” 

Leonard reached out and took his hand. “And you did it, Jim.” 

“I got lucky. And I had help.” 

“No one’s that lucky, Jim. Or maybe I just wasn’t a very good spy. Maybe part of me wanted you to find me.” 

“You think?”

Leonard shrugged. “I’m really not sure. I was just … so focused on the job; that’s how they trained us.”

“Did you have any free time?”

Leonard shook his head. “None. And it never occurred to any of us to object.” 

Jim smiled and looked out at the fading in the light in the garden. “Well, we’ve got some free time now. Come outside with me?” 

Leonard kissed his hand. “I need to finish your passport first, Jim. Then you can continue reminding me how to relax.”

Jim looked back at him eagerly. “In front of the fire?” 

Leonard smiled indulgently. “If you want, darlin’.” 

~~~

Jim had been delighted when the farmer who owned the place brought them some chips and deep fried Mars Bars from the local fish ‘n chips shop. Bones had been horrified at first, but Jim had shut him up by sticking a chip in his mouth. 

They were the best chips he had ever tasted, even when Bones tried to spoil them by putting vinegar on them. 

Bones had finally finished making Jim’s bogus passport, so Jim dragged him outside into the cooling night air as they munched on the Mars Bars. 

“These are damn messy,” Bones groused, licking chocolate off his fingers. 

“So good, though.” He grinned. “Here, let me help with that.” He grabbed Bones’s hand and stuck his fingers in his mouth, swirling his tongue to get every last bit of chocolate. 

He had missed Bones’s hands. They were long, elegant, gorgeous. A surgeon’s hands. 

Jim closed his eyes when Bones’s other hand cradled the side of his face, thumb softly stroking over his eyebrow. 

“You look a little cold, darlin’,” Bones’s voice rumbled. “Think we better get you inside, next to the fire.” His hands gently moved away.

Jim opened his eyes and saw Bones’s eyes glinting at him in the dark as he picked up the last bit fried Mars Bar. He jumped out of his seat and pushed Bones playfully out of the way in his haste to get in front of the fireplace and stoke it back to life. 

He heard Bones close the door and come up behind him, sinking onto the couch. 

Jim crawled over to him slowly, mesmerized by the firelight reflecting in Bones’s eyes. He plucked the last bit of Mars Bar from the cardboard container and stuck it in his mouth. He sucked on it as he unbuckled Bones’s pants and fingered his growing erection. When smooth chocolate and caramel was all that remained in his mouth, he lowered it over Bones’s cock, coating him in sticky, wet heat. 

Bones’s groaned, his longer fingers instantly tangling in Jim’s hair. “A-Always knew you had a sweet tooth, Jim. Never knew – it could come out like this.” 

Jim chuckled, working his tongue thoroughly and slowly over ever inch of Bones’s length, lapping up chocolate as he went. His fingers circled around the base of Bones’s cock as he stopped lavish attention on just the head. The sounds his lover was making were going straight to his own cock, straining even in the jeans that were too loose on him. 

Jim hummed contentedly, running his tongue from base to tip and then swallowing Bones whole.

“Fuck!” Bones grasped Jim’s head in his hands and fucked his mouth. When he came, Jim swallowed it down with the rest of the chocolate. 

He flopped onto his back and licked his lips. “Best. Dessert. Ever.” 

Bones’s slowed down his breathing and crawled onto the floor next to Jim. The fire kept them both warm as they slowly undressed each other. Jim even let Bones put the proceedings on hold for a moment to inspect the stitches on his chest; he just let the doctor examine his work, reaching up a hand to stroke through his hair.

Bones turned and kissed his palm. “I can’t believe I forgot all this.”

Jim moved his hand so one finger was over Bones’s lips. “Shhh. Not now, babe. Come here.” 

Bones obliged, stretching himself out over Jim and leaning down to kiss him. Their tongues tangled languidly, tasting the salty sweetness of Jim’s mouth. 

“Jim?” Bones whispered when they pulled apart.

“Yeah?” 

“I want you to fuck me.” 

Although his entire body jolted at the idea, Jim hesitated. “You sure? You’re still –”

Bones kissed him again. “I’m sure. Don’t think I didn’t notice what you managed to sneak into the shopping cart this afternoon.” 

Jim laughed and reached for the plastic bag he had deliberately left near the fireplace, pulling out a condom and a bottle of lube. 

“Just go slow. It’s been a while,” Bones murmured.

Jim pulled him down for a tender kiss. “Of course. Whatever you want.” His cock was almost painfully hard against Bones’s thigh, but he didn’t care. He wanted to make sure that every new memory they made was as perfect as possible. “Maybe we should move to the bedroom?”

“No. Here,” Bones said, rolling them, so that Jim was on top of him. “Want this. Want you,” he gasped, kissing Jim more hungrily. 

Jim moaned into his mouth, fumbling for the lube again with one hand. He managed to slick up his fingers before planting his knees between Bones’s legs. He nudged Bones until he pulled his knees up. Jim leaned back, stroking his thigh while he gently stroked Bones’s entrance with the pad of his thumb. “You look so good like this,” he murmured. The firelight dancing off Bones’s defined chest – definitely more muscle than had been there two years ago – was almost hypnotic. 

He slowly entered one finger into Bones. 

Bones clenched and then relaxed around him. 

Jim watched his face closely as he let his finger go in a little deeper. “Okay?” 

Bones nodded, smiling up at him. “I’m good.” 

Jim took his time working Bones open with his fingers, even though the anticipation was almost killing him; it had been so long. He was startled from his thoughts by Bones’s hand on his wrist. 

“Jim, I’m ready.” 

Jim grinned and nodded, donning a condom and slicking himself up. He took a few deep breaths and hoped he wouldn’t come from the first touch. That would be embarrassing. 

He pushed into Bones slowly, eyes riveted to his lover’s face. 

Bones’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment before opening again; a slow smile spread across his face, and he rocked his hips slightly.

Jim’s cock twitched at the motion, and he picked up the slow momentum, pushing in and out languidly. Some corner of his mind registered how strange it was to be taking his time while they were still running for their lives. 

Perhaps that was the point. They were both scared that they could lose everything they were rebuilding. 

Bones’s hand cupped the side of his face again. “Jim, stop thinkin’ so damn hard. You never had that problem before,” he said with a smirk.

“Sorry,” Jim whispered, leaning forward to kiss him and thrusting in deep simultaneously. 

Bones moaned, his eyes closing again. “I know, darlin’. I don’t wanna lose you either. But I’ll – ah!” 

Jim couldn’t take it any longer and began thrusting in earnest. He grinned down at his lover. “What was that, Bones?” 

“Fuck! Just like that, Jim – Jesus, fuck!”

Jim closed his eyes; it was all too much too quickly. 

Bones grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. “Always – ugh, no matter what, I’ll protect you.” 

Jim cried out incoherently as he shot deep inside Bones, dimly aware that Bones was releasing against his stomach. He pulled out carefully before collapsing on top of him. 

Bones chuckled dryly. “Now, this part I remember. You just want to go straight to sleep and whine if I try to get you to clean up first.”

“Mm hm,” Jim said, already half asleep and close to drooling on Bones’s chest. He sighed happily when strong arms wrapped around him.   
A kiss was pressed into his hair. “I mean it, you know. I won’t let them get near you again, Jim. You haven’t seen what I’ve –”

“Bones, we’re in this together. No matter what.” He felt Bones sigh and nod reluctantly. Only then did he let his eyes slide closed, basking in the warmth of the dying fire and Bones’s arms. 

~~~

Leonard shook his head, bringing down his binoculars. “Damn it, Jim. This is bad.”

“What is it?” 

Leonard looked out again from the top of the parking garage down to Paddington Station. Though invisible to untrained eye, he could see government agents everywhere, and the local authorities were on high alert, too. “They know we’re comin’. We can’t fly out today.” 

“Okay, so what do we do, Bones?” 

“We could drive up to Edinburgh, try to catch a plane from there. But they’ll probably be watching that, too.”

“I can contact Chekov. Maybe he can get us on a boat to France.”

“I hope so. But we still need to be careful, Jim.” 

“I know, Bones.” 

Leonard’s eyes narrowed as they approached the car. Something wasn’t right. “JIM, GET DOWN!” He leapt forward, tackling the blond to the ground just as the car burst into flames; the pavement beneath him rumbled with the force of the explosion. He sat up. “Are you all right?” 

Jim’s eyes were wide, but he seemed unhurt. “What the fuck –“

Leonard took his face in his hands. “Are you hit, kid?” 

Jim’s eyes refocused, and he shook his head. “No, I’m okay.” 

Leonard jumped to his feet and pulled Jim up with him. “Run.” 

“They’re onto us?” Jim yelled as they ran towards the stairs. 

“It’s not them,” Leonard said darkly as his blood pounded in his ears. “They wouldn’t do this. Someone else is after us.”

“Oh, great!” 

Gunshots rang out in the stairwell, and they both pressed themselves against the wall and drew their own weapons. “Jim, you have to get out of here!” 

“Bones, I’m not leaving you, especially when more than one person is out for –”

Leonard shoved him back against the wall and leaned over the railing, squeezing off three shots. He couldn’t see the other shooter. 

“Who is it?” Jim asked. 

“Can’t see,” Leonard answered, shoving him onto the landing and out the door the next floor down.

“Who else would want you dead?”

“I’ve made a lot of enemies in the past two years, Jim. It’s not exactly a short list!” He scanned the cars. “We need to get another car.” 

“BONES!”

Leonard turned and saw a small object rolling out from under the door to the stairwell. He dove behind the closest car as he watched Jim do the same in the other direction. Glass shattered over his head as the second explosion rocked the ground. He wanted to shout to Jim, but he couldn’t give away his position. He threw himself flat to the ground, looking for footsteps. He saw a pair of boots, and they started to move in Jim’s direction. Shit. He steadied his gun, lying prone, and tried to shoot at the feet; he missed as the shooter started to run.

“Jim, watch out!” he shouted, rolling to his feet. He coughed in the smoky air; he couldn’t see Jim or the shooter close by. “JIM!” 

~~~

Jim ran down the line of cars, hearing footsteps pounding behind him. He rounded a corner, brought up his gun, and shot at his pursuer. A tall man ducked behind a car as Jim shot out the windshield. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, running down the next row of the parking garage; he didn’t want to waste bullets. Bones had only given him one extra clip. _I hope he didn’t get hurt in the blast_ , he thought distractedly as he weaved between cars. Jim ducked down but kept running as bullets started to rain in his direction. _If I had more time, I could hot wire one of these cars. And where the hell are the police? Someone had to hear those explosions!_

The shooting stopped and was replaced with the sound of a pair of boots running. Jim crouched, leaning around the front of a car. He got off one shot before his pursuer hid again. This time, Jim waited. He had to come out sometime. He kept his sights targeted on the car where the man had disappeared. He shifted his feet and yelled out loud as a bullet whistled through his legs. Jim rolled onto the top of the car and aimed his gun again, focusing under the cars. The guy wasn’t invisible; he had to be there somewhere. 

Up at the top of the ramp to the level, he saw Bones come around the corner; he was about to call out when a hand grabbed his ankle and dragged him to the ground. He screamed as something drove into his shoulder. 

~~~

“NO! JIM!” Leonard shouted, holding his gun out as he ran towards the car with the dented bonnet. “Let the kid go! Come out with your hands up! NOW!” 

There was a deep laugh before a man with a shaved head stood, dragging Jim with him. His gun was nestled under Jim’s chin. “I don’t think so, Agent Davison. Or is it Doctor McCoy now?”

Leonard’s mouth fell open a little. There was a knife wound in Jim’s shoulder, and it was bleeding badly. He tried to stop his physician’s brain from running down the arteries that could be damaged. “Who the fuck are you, and what do you want?” 

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Leonard. Waiting for just the right moment.”

Leonard tightened his grip on his gun. “Tell me what you want.” 

“First, you’re going to put down the gun, Leonard. Or Jim here is going to end up with another new hole.” 

“Bones, don’t –”

The shooter moved the gun, digging it into the bleeding wound. Jim howled in pain. “Well, Leonard? I have all day, but Jim here might not; you don’t want him to bleed out, do you? Throw down the gun.” 

Leonard looked at Jim’s reddened eyes and forced himself to relax his stance. He dangled his gun off one finger and held both arms out to his sides. “Let him go; he’s got nothing to do with this.” 

“Well, apparently, he does,” the shooter said, dragging Jim out from behind the car with him. “I’ve been watching you since your little breakout, Leonard. He was the cause. Now, drop the gun.”

Leonard let the gun clatter to the ground and kicked it away. 

“And any others you might be carrying.” 

“They were all in the car you blew up,” Leonard growled. “Now who the hell are you, and what do you want?” 

“I need your help. So, here’s what’s going to happen. Do you see the navy van parked behind me?”

Leonard let his gaze flick to it momentarily. “Yes.” 

“You’re going to get in it and come with me if you want Jim to live.” 

“Don’t go with him, Bones – agh!” 

The shooter had dug in the gun again. “Mouthy one, isn’t he?”

“Jim walks,” Leonard stated. “Or I’m not going near that van.” 

“Fair enough.” He wrapped an arm around Jim’s throat to keep him still, aiming the gun directly at Leonard. He dug a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket with his other hand and tossed them to Leonard. “If you would, Leonard.” 

“First, I want to know that Jim’s going to be okay.”

The shooter smiled. “Good idea. Take your phone out nice and slow. Call Uhura. We’ll get gone before they arrive.” 

Leonard’s eyes widened. “How –”

“Let’s just say I’m a former employee of the Agency. I know exactly what they’ve done to you.”

“What do you want from me?” 

“You’re going to help me get revenge on them.” 

“Bones, don’t _do_ this!” Jim shouted. 

“Now call them. And don’t try anything,” the shooter growled, aiming the gun under Jim’s chin again. 

Leonard slowly took a burner phone out of pocket and dialed.

“Uhura.” 

He suppressed his natural drawl for a moment. “It’s Davidson. I’m turning myself in. I’m in the parking garage police are converging on due to explosions. Fifth level. Send an ambulance. Kirk’s hurt.” He clicked the phone off and tossed it away. 

The shooter smirked. “Good. Now, the cuffs if you please.” 

“Let go of Jim first.” 

The stranger rolled his eyes and struck Jim on the back of the head with his gun, lowering him to the ground as he lost consciousness. He stood and kept his gun trained on the blond. “Cuffs. Now.”

Leonard glared before turning his back to the stranger and slowly cuffing his hands together behind him. “Anything happens to him, I won’t help you.” 

“I got the message, Leonard. Let’s go.” 

Leonard turned back around and walked towards the stranger, looking down at Jim as he passed. 

The stranger gestured to the van with his gun. “You should feel grateful. I’m saving you from hurting him.” 

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Leonard snapped as he stepped into the van. 

“My name is Nero, Leonard. Do you know why the Agency tries to pick people who can make a clean break from their lives?” he asked as he followed Leonard into van and shoved him down into a chair. “It’s because those kinds of emotional attachments can cause problems with the programming in your head. A _malfunction_ caused me to kill my own wife and daughter. So, all in all, I’m doing you a favor.” 

Leonard’s eyes widened, and he looked around the van at all of the electronics. “What are you going to do?”

Nero smiled. “I’m not going to do anything, Leonard. I’m going to program you to take down the Agency for me.” 

~~~

Jim groaned, slowly crawling back to consciousness. “Bones?” He blinked, and Uhura’s face came into focus above him. He tried to get up but was stopped by a burning pain in his shoulder.

“Take it easy,” she said gently. “That’s a nasty wound you’ve got there.”

“Bones,” Jim coughed. “Where is he?” 

“We were hoping you could tell us,” she answered. 

He looked around; he was in a hospital. “Where am I?” 

“You’re safe, Mr. Kirk. What can you tell us about where McCoy’s gone? Did he hurt you?” 

“No! Of course not!” Jim cried. “Why the hell would you think that?! Some psychopath attacked us. He said he was former agent, and he needed Bones’s help.”

Uhura’s eyes widened. “Name.”

“We weren’t formerly introduced. He was tall … shaved head.” 

Uhura pulled out her phone and typed in a few commands. She held up a picture for Jim of a clean cut agent with jet black hair.   
Jim squinted. “Yeah, that’s him. He took Bones. Said he’d been watching him.” 

“Nero,” Uhura whispered, taking her phone back and dialing. “Sulu, it’s Nero. He’s taken Davidson. We need everyone on this.” 

Jim slowly pushed himself to sit up. “Wait! Tell me what’s going on. I can help.” 

Uhura hung up. “Mr. Kirk, I’m sorry. You’re going to remain in protective custody until this is over.” 

“I know what he looks like now. And I saw the van that he used to drive Bones out of there. Let me see the security video.” 

Uhura hesitated before nodding. “I’ll bring you a laptop.” 

~~~

“You remember now, don’t you, Leonard?” Nero purred, leaning over the doctor. “Remember the first time they did this to you?” 

Leonard wanted to fight against the restraints holding him down, but he wouldn’t give Nero the pleasure. “Yes. I remember now. And I’m sorry for what happened to your family, but doing this won’t bring them back.” 

“I know that. But it will end the people responsible. People who think that human beings are just toys to be played with.”

“You know who makes those decisions. Not Uhura. Not even Pike. People above him. Nameless, faceless higher-ups who never set foot inside an office. You’re not going to even touch them.”

“Perhaps not. But a big enough spectacle will bring media attention to the program.” 

“Damn it, man, innocent people are going to die! And you know the Agency can cover up anything!” 

“I’ll make sure they don’t. Let me worry about that, Leonard. Actually … once I’m done here, you won’t be worrying about anything but the mission.” 

Leonard was quiet for a moment. “Why me? Why does my life have to be the one to be destroyed?” 

“Because you malfunctioned, Leonard. You broke their programming, and that makes it so much easier to put in my own.” 

“Will I remember anything?” 

“You’re not going to live long enough for it to matter.” 

“I want to know if Jim made it out.” 

Nero raised an eyebrow.

“Call it a last request. It’s not like you don’t know how to hack into the system.” 

Nero shrugged and turned to a nearby computer. Leonard watched as he pulled up the internal communications, chuckling at what he saw.

“What is it?” Leonard asked, trying not to squirm. 

“Nothing,” he answered. “Let’s see … ah, here we go.” 

An e-mail popped up from Uhura to Pike, big enough for Leonard to read. “Kirk’s out of surgery. Recovering well. Should regain consciousness soon. No sign of Davidson.” 

“Happy now?” Nero asked.

Leonard ignored the tear running down his face. “Yeah. Peachy.” 

~~~

“So, who is this guy?” Jim asked as he flipped through shots from the security cameras. “Nero?” 

“That’s classified.” 

Jim sighed. “Listen, I know you’re trying to protect me, but you need my help. I need to know what we’re up against.”

“You’re not a part of this operation, Kirk.”

Jim slammed his hands down on the table. “Fine! Tell me because that’s my _friend_ out there that _you_ kidnapped, and _now_ he’s in the hands of a psychopath!” 

Uhura met his eyes and then looked away with a sigh. “Nero was an agent here before I was assigned to this department. He was very successful. He was one of the first … and the only one with a family. Back then, we allowed agents to have free time and didn’t erase their memories. They just added the technical skills. But something went wrong with his programming; he killed his family.” 

Jim paused the video. “Holy shit.” 

“He escaped custody and hasn’t been seen since. We’ve gotten threatening messages from time to time. He blames the Agency. When I came on board, they were overhauling the program, making the new recruits into narrow-minded soldiers. My boyfriend was one of the first. Unfortunately, they tried out the new technique on him; it robbed him of all emotion completely. After what happened with Nero, they knew that was a mistake. The Agents have to be able to feel. They made a mistake with Spock, but they learned from it.” 

Jim stared at her. “Did he ever recover?”

She still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “He’s not active, but he’s been very valuable in research. They … were unable to ‘cure’ him, if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Jim was quiet for a long time. “And you still work for these people?” 

She finally looked back at him. “Yes. My family was ripped apart by terrorists. I’ll do whatever it takes to help. What happened to Spock was a mistake.” 

“And what about Bones, huh? He didn’t want any of this.” 

“I know.” She hesitated before reaching out a hand and placing it on top of his. “I’m sorry, Jim. I truly am. I should have scrubbed his recruitment.” 

“I don’t want you to apologize, Uhura. I want you to let me help you find him and bring him home safely.” 

She withdrew her hand and nodded. “I’ll do everything I can.” 

“Will they be able to help him? Get that stuff out of his head?” 

She nodded. “They’ve perfected the techniques for removing it now.”

Jim went back to the video feed. “Good.” They both worked quietly for a while. “What does Nero want? He said he needed Bones’s help.” 

“He’ll be coming after the Agency. And it sounds like he’ll be using McCoy to help him.”

“Bones would never agree to that.” 

“He might not have a choice.” 

Jim’s head snapped up.

Uhura met his gaze. “If Nero has figured out how to manipulate an agent’s programming –”

“Shit!” 

“Exactly. That’s why we need to keep you out of this, Kirk. However you affected McCoy’s programming before, it might not happen again.” 

Jim shook his head and went back to the video feed. “He’s still Bones. You may not believe in him, but I do.” He squinted at the screen. “I’ve got it.” 

~~~

Nero snickered as he consulted the information on his screen. It had taken years, but he now had full access to the Agency’s information and databases. They had no idea that he and McCoy – Davidson once more – had already left the country. 

So far, his new programming was taking well. Davidson followed all of his instructions without question. And all of his reflexes and training were still in working order. _They made the weapon of their own destruction without realizing it._

“Destination?” Davidson asked from the driver’s seat. 

Nero programmed it into the GPS. “We need to gather some supplies, Agent. Then your mission will begin.” 

~~~

Uhura had wondered if Kirk was going to rant at her during the entire plane ride. However, his anger subsided as they discussed possible locations for Nero’s attack. 

Kirk certainly hadn’t been pleased when they had tracked the movements of the van and discovered that McCoy and Nero had managed to get through airport security and onto a flight back to the US. 

Pike had questioned her decision to bring Kirk back with her, but she told him that there was a chance Kirk could be useful to them. Especially since Kirk pointed out that Nero had to be deeply entrenched in their communications in order to find and follow McCoy. 

Having scrambled their communications once more, Uhura sat with the other agents on the plane. The screen in front of her came to life, mapping out the D.C. area. Kirk just sat back and listened as they discussed plans and possible points that Nero might attack. Pike ordered increases in security at their headquarters and training facility. 

Just as they were about to close the meeting, Pike looked at Kirk. “Kirk, do you remember anything else that might tell us what Nero was up to?” 

Kirk shook his head. “No, sir.” 

“All right. Uhura, we’ll see you when you land. Everyone else, let’s punch it.” 

~~~

“So, you're banking on Nero attacking your headquarters directly,” Jim said when the meeting had concluded.

Uhura looked surprised that he had been able to follow all of that. “Yes. He will either attack the office, our training facility, or the ...”

“Farm?” Jim supplied acidly. “The pseudo-medical facility where the actual brainwashing happens?” 

She nodded. “But only a handful of people know that location. It's highly unlikely that Nero could have discovered it.” 

“What about the possibility that Nero will take the direct approach and go after Bones's family?” 

“Highly unlikely. He's just using McCoy; he knows he's not to blame.”

Jim shook his head. “It would be the perfect distraction. I know you've got an agent or two watching over his family, but I don't think it's enough.” 

“We can't spare more than that,” Uhura retorted. “It's more likely that Nero will hit our headquarters.” 

“So, what else can I do to help?”

“Honestly, Kirk, I need you to stay out of the way as much as possible. We're professionals, and we know what we're doing.”

“When you find him, I can help.”

“No, you _think_ you can help,” she responded. “I'm not trying to be cruel, but whatever Nero's done to him might have put him past the point where you could help him. Once we bring him in, I'll get you in to see him as soon as possible.” 

Jim shook his head stubbornly. “I can help. Let me ride along on one of the operations.”

Uhura shook her head. “Out of the question. You'll get in the way; in case you've forgotten, you're injured. Jim, we need to face fact here. You both got lucky before. And you knew him for less than a year before we took him.” 

Jim glared at her. “You only see him as the agent you trained. I know him better.” 

“Protecting our people and the technology are our priorities. I know you're worried about him, Jim. And, believe me, we're not forgetting that underneath the technology and skills, he's Leonard McCoy.”

Jim tried to cross his arms before remembering that one was still in a sling. “I can at least be an extra set of eyes. I'll know what to look for, unlike someone pulled in from another department.” 

She sighed. “All right. I'll see what I can do. But no guarantees.” 

Jim nodded and looked out the window at the clouds drifting by. _Hang on, Bones. I'm coming. Just … don't get lost completely. I'm coming._

~~~

Nero jumped as the patient started screaming. He quickly strapped Davidson into the chair, ignoring the howls of pain. 

“Hmm … looks like I might have adjusted your sensitivity to pain in the wrong direction,” he muttered, looking at the computer readouts from the nodes attached to Davidson's head. Out of morbid curiosity, he ran a fingertip lightly over Davidson's arm. 

Davidson jerked at the touch and screamed, nearly breaking his arm as he tried to wrench it free. The additional friction clearly caused him more pain, and the heart monitor started to beat louder and faster. 

Nero made a noise of disgust and injected his subject with a syringe of lorazepam. 

Davidson quieted a bit but still moved restlessly under the restraints. 

Nero smiled. “I'll fix it, Davidson. You really will be the perfect soldier when I'm done. Just a few more final adjustments.” 

~~~

“You can't do this!” Jim shouted as two guards held him down. “I can help!” 

“I'm sorry, Jim. The higher-ups see you as too much of a risk,” Uhura told him. “You have to stay out of the way. We'll bring McCoy back; I promise.” 

“Aagh, NO! Let me help!” 

She shook her head and headed out the door. 

“Calm down, Kirk,” one of the guards said. “Or we'll have to strap you to the bed.” 

Jim forced himself to go still on the bed. “Fine.” 

They let go and backed off. A nurse stood next to the bed, took his vitals, and checked his vitals and checked the wound in his shoulder. “You need to be careful with moving that arm, Kirk. You don't want the stitches to come out.” 

Jim nodded, trying to act the part of the good patient. 

“How's the pain?”

Jim wouldn't look at him. “I'm fine.” 

“I'm trying to help you, Kirk. I can only do that if you give me the information I need.” 

Jim sighed. “It's a little sore. But I don't want anything too strong.” 

The nurse nodded and handed him a plastic cup with two pills. “Tylenol with codeine.”

Jim took it and swallowed the pills dry. After fussing for a few more minutes, the nurse finally left, followed by the guards. The door locked behind them. Jim immediately stood up and surveyed the room. He was starting to trust Uhura a bit, but he didn't trust the other agents to do everything they could to bring Bones back in safely. 

_Gotta get out of here._

The only way out of the room was the door. No windows. No vent. It seemed to be a treatment room of some kind inside the Agency headquarters. They had wheeled out some equipment before shoving Jim inside. 

_Damn it. Gotta do this the hard way, he thought._

~~~

Agent Davidson walked into the building for his final mission. The security guard nodded and waved him in. The disguise was perfect, and his new credentials weren't questioned

He headed down to the labs, nodding at “coworkers.” He veered off from his seemingly intended path and headed to the server room instead.

The security guard smiled. “Hey, Doc. What are you you doing down here?”

Davidson smiled and shot him square in the chest. The silencer ensured no one would come running, and Nero was responsible for looping the video feed. He bent down and picked up the guard's key card, using it to get inside the room. He locked the door and began pulling components from his lab coat pockets. 

~~~

“What you mean you _lost_ him?” Uhura hissed into the phone. “He – what? Never mind. Just _find_ him.” She ended the call with a jab of her finger before turning to Sulu. “Tell surveillance to keep an eye out for Kirk; he's loose.”

Sulu nodded. “Yes, ma'am.” 

Pike raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like Kirk is more than a handful.”

Uhura scowled. “I should have left him in England.” 

Pike smiled. “He's nothing if not determined.” 

Sulu returned. “Ma'am, all surveillance just went down. The techs can't restore it, and the backup generators are failing.”

Uhura and Pike shared a look. 

“Put us on lockdown, Agent. I want everyone – including Kirk – accounted for,” Pike ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

~~~

By the time lockdown was ordered, Davidson had already made his way back to the lab. The scientists were lining up according to Spock's instructions.

“Eric, do you know what's going on?” Brenda asked. “Why are we on lockdown?”

Davidson shrugged. “Not a clue.” 

“Everything is under control,” Spock announced. “This lockdown is merely for your safety.”

Brenda snorted under her breath. 

They all looked up as voices shouted nearby. 

Spock raised an eyebrow. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please step back into the lab for a moment –“

“KIRK! Get back here! We're on lockdown!” 

“Stop him!” 

Something in the back of Davidson's mind twinged, almost like a mosquito bite. _Kirk … why does that ring a bell?_

“Eric, come on,” Brenda urged. 

Spock approached them. “Is there a problem?” 

A blond man ran down the hallway past them. Spock looked like he was going to pursue, but another two Agents appeared at the other end of the hall. 

“There's no where to run, Kirk.”

Davidson squinted at the blond man, trying to place him and simultaneously trying to tell himself not worry about it; he needed to focus on the mission. The man was hastily and sloppily dressed in ill-fitting jeans and sweatshirt; one arm was in a sling. He looked between the two groups and raised his hand. “Okay! Just … don't put me back there; I can help you.”

Spock put a hand on Davidson's arm. “Doctor, if you would step in the lab for a moment with the others?”

Davidson nodded. “Of course; my apologies.” 

Kirk's head suddenly snapped his direction. “Bones?!” His eyes narrowed. “Bones!” A guard grabbed Kirk, yanking his arm behind his back; Kirk struggled. “Wait, no! It's him! He's wearing a disguise! It's McCoy!” 

~~~

One moment, Jim was staring at his best friend in a fat suit and blond hair; it was a good disguise, but Jim knew the voice. The next moment, Bones was suddenly in motion. A gun appeared from beneath his lab coat, and he began efficiently cutting down agents. Jim ran towards of him, heedless of the danger. But he was knocked off his feet by an explosion. He hit the ground, and his vision and hearing went in and out for a minute. When he could finally get up again, the fat suit and lab coat were lying on the floor. Bones was gone. 

“Shit.” He looked at the nearest Agent and grabbed his radio. “If anyone can hear me, this is Kirk down by the labs.”

There was a crackle before Uhura's voice came over the line. “Kirk?! What the hell happened down there?”

“It's Bones. He's here. He was in disguise. I think … I think he's killing anyone in his way; that's what Nero programmed him to do. You've got to get everyone out of here.” He looked around. “We're got dead and wounded down here.” 

“All right, we're sending teams your way. Stay there. There's nothing you can do to stop him.”

“Uhura. Uhura!” When she didn't answer, he tossed away the walkie and hauled himself to his feet. He had to find Bones, or they were going to kill him. 

~~~

Nero watched the chaos with delight. The servers had been taken out, and the lab was all but destroyed. He had wanted Davidson to ensure the destruction of all the equipment in the lab personally, but Kirk had unwittingly triggered him. He had programmed Davidson to go straight into “kill mode” if his cover was blown. He watched from the camera attached to Davidson's shirt as he took down staff and Agents alike as he went through the halls.   
_  
Mission accomplished_ , he thought. _Well, half of it, anyway._ He turned to his computers to begin broadcasting on television and the internet; the world was going to know about what happened. 

~~~

Davidson continued going through the halls, destroying any threats. He could almost hear Nero's voice in his head, giving him commands. No other conscious thought went through his mind. _Eliminate._

He reached the next floor of offices, but it had already been evacuated. He made his way slowly through the cubicles. Light suddenly shone in from the windows. He squinted; it was a helicopter. “Agent Davidson! Lay down your weapon and surrender yourself!” a voice boomed over a loudspeaker. 

Davidson ignored them, crouching along the opposite wall to shield himself as best he could in case they opened fire. 

The door he came in exploded open behind him; he whirled to shoot the intruder and stopped when he was it was Kirk. 

The blond man looked around the room frantically. “Bones!” 

“Kirk! Get the hell out of there!” the loudspeaker voice shouted. 

Kirk ignored it, searching the cubes. 

Davidson stepped into the aisle, leveling his gun at Kirk's chest. 

Kirk slowly raised his hands. “Bones, it's me. You're not gonna shoot me.” 

“Agent Davidson, lower the weapon, or we will open fire!” 

“Bones, please … listen to me.”

Davidson shook his head and gestured for Kirk to move with his gun until the blond was between himself and the line of fire. 

“Bones, you're not gonna shoot me,” Kirk said calmly. “I know you. You don't want to do this; you don't want to hurt anyone. Just put down the gun, and I'll help you. I promise. Just – you're not Agent Davidson. You're Leonard McCoy. You're a doctor. You don't hurt people; you heal them.” 

“I don't know you,” Davidson snapped.

Kirk raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Then why haven't you shot me yet? Why didn't you shoot me downstairs?” 

Davidson went to tighten his finger on the trigger and found he couldn't. “You're cover now. They won't open fire with you in the way.” 

“Yeah, but that doesn't explain why you didn't shoot me downstairs when you had the chance. You can't kill me.”

Davidson glared. “I don't know you.”

“Yes, you do. I'm Jim. And you're Bones. You forgot, but I helped you remember. Then Nero made you forget again; I know it's –“

“SHUT UP!” Davidson yelled. His palms were sweating. He couldn't understand why he felt so out of control. It had been simple a few minutes ago: he had a mission. 

“It's okay,” Jim said softly. “I know it's hard. I know he messed with your head. But you can trust me. And I trust you. You're not gonna shoot me.” 

~~~

“Wait,” Pike told Uhura; they were both listening to the exchange via the walkie in Jim's pocket. “Don't engage. Let's see if Kirk can talk him out of this.”

“Sir, I have to object; there are too many variables –“

“Nero must have upgraded his program; he's been slaughtering our agents. If Kirk has another way, I want to try it.” 

~~~

Jim forced himself to hold as still as possible as he watched Bones struggle internally. 

“Jim?” 

Jim nearly collapsed with relief; the accent was back. But the gun hadn't wavered. “It's me, Bones. Just put the gun down and tell us where Nero is.” 

Bones shook his head, and he started to look panicked. “No. No, Jim, you have to get away from me. I'll kill you!”

Jim took a step closer. “No you won't. I know you.”

“You don't know what he did to me! Jesus, Jim, just .. run! Get away!” 

“I'm not leaving you. Not now. I'm staying right here!”

Bones surged forward, so they were only inches apart. “Jim, please! You've got to run! I can't … I can't control it! He told me to kill everyone, and I can't make it stop!” 

“You did make it stop, Bones. You didn't kill me, and you're not going to. Now you just need to take the next step and put down the gun.” 

Bones's hand started to shake. “I can't!” 

“You can. You're not gonna shoot me, Bones.”

A gunshot rang out, and pain exploded in Jim's back. 

“No. But I will,” Nero voice sounded behind him. 

Jim collapsed to his knees, and the world faded to black. 

~~~

“JIM!” Leonard dropped the gun, wrapping his arms around Jim. “Jim, no! Stay with me!” 

Jim coughed once, and his eyes slipped closed.

Leonard shook him. “NO! Jim, stay awake! Stay with me!” 

“Davidson,” Nero snapped. “We have a job to do. The broadcast is already out. Now let's finish this together. Leave him.” 

Part of his brain started to obey, but he shook his head. “No, it's over.”

“Oh, it's far from over,” Nero said, pulling a grenade launcher from his bag and shooting out the window. 

Leonard threw himself over Jim's body, protecting him from debris and falling glass. He could hear the helicopter outside exploding and falling. He shut his eyes and reached for his gun. He aimed it at Nero and shot him in the knee. 

Nero swore and fell to the ground. “Davidson!” 

Leonard stood. “That's not my name, you son of a bitch. I'm Leonard McCoy, and you killed Jim.” He aimed the gun at Nero's chest.   
And then Jim coughed and moaned weakly. The room exploded again as Agents surrounded them. 

Completely ignoring them, Leonard dropped the gun and went to Jim's side. “Jim?!” Jim was still coughing and breathing, so he carefully rolled him onto his back. _No blood …_ He pulled up the sweatshirt and saw a Kevlar vest underneath. 

“I trusted you, Bones,” Jim said weakly, slitting his eyes open. “I just … you know, thought this might be handy just in case.”

Leonard managed a watery smile and kissed him. “Thank God. But you're still a reckless moron.”


	4. Epilogue

Somewhere in the middle of the chaos, Jim had either been sedated or fallen asleep. When he woke up, he was in a hospital, and Bones was watching him from the chair next to the bed. 

“Hey,” Jim whispered, licking his dry lips.

Bones smiled. “Hey, kid. How’re you feeling?”

Jim closed his eyes and groaned. “Like I got run over by a truck.” 

Bones chuckled. “I’m not surprised. Stab wound to the shoulder, injuries from the explosion, and a shot to the back. Even with the Kevlar, you’re gonna be a bit sore. Here, drink up.” 

Jim opened his eyes and sucked at the straw in front of his face, relishing the cool water. “Thanks.” His eyes widened as he noticed the handcuffs on Bones’s wrists. “What the hell?” 

Bones shrugged. “I’m still a danger until they get this shit out of my head, Jim. This is the only way they’d let me stay here until you woke up.” 

“But you’re not a danger! You didn’t shoot me!” 

Bones reached out and took his hand. “I know, Jim. It’s just a precaution. I’m not a prisoner; they just … don’t want to take any chances. We’re not even completely sure what Nero did to me yet. They ran a lot of tests. They’re analyzing them now before they start anything. But I wanted to see you first. Just …” He looked away. “You know, just in case.” 

Jim squeezed Bones’s hand. “Hey. You’re coming back to me, understand? I’m not gonna lose you now.” Bones was quiet, but squeezed his hand back. Jim squeezed back and asked the question that had been worrying him for awhile now. “What’s involved, anyway? I never understood exactly what they did to you.”

“They surgically inserted computer hardware into my brain and used drugs and electrical signals to control it.” 

“What?!” 

“Yeah, I’m none too thrilled either. Since there are no new incisions, Nero didn’t add anything, but he definitely messed with it.” He looked back at Jim. “Uhura and Pike promised me that they would fix it and make it up to us.” 

Jim snorted. “Yeah? How’re they gonna do that?” 

Bones shook his head. “I’m not sure.” 

Jim smiled a little, reaching his hand up to run his fingers through Bones’s hair. “You know, blond isn’t a bad look for you.” 

Bones snorted. “Not sure I’m a fan.” He sighed. “Jim, I understand if … you want to leave once you’re healed up.”

Jim blinked. “What?” 

“I’m sorry you saw me like that,” Bones whispered. 

Jim thought about sitting up but decided it was a bad idea. “Like what?” 

“A murderer.” 

Jim squeezed his hand again. “Hey. Bones, look at me.” 

Bones met his eyes. 

“That wasn’t really you. I know that. You were being manipulated by Nero’s programming. I know you’d never try to hurt anyone, Bones. I still want to be with you. After all this … I’m not going anywhere.” 

Bones gave a small smile as tears filled his eyes.

Jim tugged him closer and wrapped his good arm around him.

Bones sobbed against his chest for the crimes he was guilty of and truly innocent of at the same time. Jim stroked his back and shushed him. “It wasn’t your fault, Bones. It’s okay.” 

“But I did this, Jim. I killed people ...”

“Shh, I know. But it's gonna be okay, babe. It was their programming that made you do it.” 

Bones had finally calmed when Uhura appeared in the doorway. 

Jim instinctively tightened his embrace. 

“It’s time, McCoy. Tests results are back, and they need to prep you for surgery.”

Bones slowly sat up and wiped his eyes; he offered Jim another watery smile. “I gotta go, kid.” 

Jim felt tears filling his own eyes and blinked them back. He glared at Uhura. “I want to know everything. The second he goes in, the second he comes out. I want to see him when it’s done.” 

She nodded. “I’ll see what I can –“

“ _No._ Not good enough, Uhura. Not after everything that’s happened. Promise me.” 

She stared at him levelly. “If the doctor says it’s all right, I’ll let you visit him. They have the control here.” 

“Don’t stress yourself, kid,” Bones told him, squeezing his hand. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon.” 

Jim wiped his eyes. “At least take those damn things off,” he snapped at Uhura. “Just for a minute.” 

This time, she didn’t argue. She stepped forward and unlocked the handcuffs. 

Bones wrapped Jim up in a tight hug without hurting him. “I’ll be back, darlin’. I promise. I’ll see you soon.” 

Jim nodded, swallowing down the sob that tried to come out. “Okay, Bones.” As they pulled apart, Bones tilted his chin up and kissed him. Jim closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Bones’. “I love you.” 

There was a pause before strong fingers stroked his hair. “I love you, too, kid.” 

Jim wiped his eyes again as he watched Bones follow Uhura out the door. 

~~~

Jim idly flicked through the channels on the TV in his room. Every single one seemed to be covering the exposure of a “secret government agency that brainwashes spies.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. 

The door opened, and Uhura stepped in. “He’s in surgery now. It’ll be a couple hours.” 

Jim nodded and said nothing else. 

Instead of leaving, Uhura pulled up the chair next to the bed and sat down. “I know you hate me.”

Jim sighed, feeling tired and almost sick with worry. “I did for a while. Not anymore. The more I think about it, the more I realize that these weren’t really your calls to make. You were under orders and trying to do what you thought was right.”

Uhura gave him a tight smile and nodded. “I’m still sorry, Kirk.” 

“Why are you here?”

She shrugged. “I thought you might need some company. And, technically, I’m fired, so I don’t have much else to be doing.” 

Jim chuckled. “I guess now that everything’s gone public –”

“They’re closing down the department. Nero got the story out to the television networks and the internet. Coupled with the coverage of the explosions in the city, it made all the headlines. I guess … he got what he wanted.” 

“What will happen to him now? I mean, in a way, he's no more responsible than Bones for what he did.” 

Uhura shook her head. “No, Kirk. The programming may have caused him to kill his family, but we removed it afterwards.”

“But still …”

“I know,” she agreed. “The Agency is still mostly responsible. They will try to rehabilitate him, but … I don't know how successful that will be.”

They were quiet for a while, staring blankly at the TV. 

“We’ve kept your names out of everything,” Uhura told him. “Once you’re both recovered, you can start over wherever you want. With a substantial ‘thank you’ from the government to begin your new lives.”

Jim snorted. “You mean they’re going to make sure we stay quiet.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Kirk. The whole world knows about us now. It would be better if they didn’t learn about you two specifically. They’d never leave you alone.”

Jim nodded. “Thank you.” He turned off the TV with a sigh. “This is giving me a headache.” 

“He’s going to be a few hours. Maybe you should try to get some rest.”

Jim rubbed a hand over his face. “Not sure I can.” 

“I’ll wake you if there’s any news.”

Jim yawned. “Can’t they just wheel him in here afterwards? It’s a big enough room.” 

Uhura shook her head. “Not until they’re sure he’s clear and not dangerous anymore.” 

Jim’s eyes narrowed. “What are they gonna do until then? Strap him to the bed?” 

“No, keep a guard outside. Don’t be so dramatic. It’s for everyone’s safety.” 

Jim yawned again and lay back. “All right, I’m gonna try to rest.”

Uhura leaned over and pulled up the blanket for him. “I promise, Jim. I’ll wake you once there’s any news.” 

He managed a smile. “Thanks.” 

She smiled back. “Sleep well.” 

~~~

When Jim awoke again – briefly – he saw Bones asleep in the bed next to his. He smiled; his lover looked sweet and relaxed in sleep. He tried to coordinate a hand out to him, but he wasn't close enough. He drew his hand back and closed his eyes. _It's gonna be okay. We'll start over again. Together._

~~~

_Ten days later ..._

Leonard tried not to roll his eyes as Jim bounced on his toes next to him. “Hold your horses, Jim.”

“Feels like all we've been doing for the last twenty-four hours is paperwork. I wanna gooooo,” he whined.

Leonard chuckled, ruffling Jim's blond hair. “In a minute.” 

Jim started to pout but was distracted by something.

His suspicious instincts still intact, Leonard watched as Jim approached a young man with curly hair; they exchanged a few words before embracing. 

Leonard signed the last piece of paper before handing it to Uhura. “Who's Jim talking to?”

“The man behind the search engine we were using. Pavel Chekov. He left the Agency and helped Jim find you.” 

Leonard raised an eyebrow as Sulu came out of the elevator and approached Jim and Chekov; the two of them pulled apart before Chekov reached out for Sulu's hand and began pumping it enthusiastically. Sulu smiled back shyly. “Don't tell me ...”

“Sulu was programmed just like you,” Uhura answered. “He was one of the first brought in using Chekov's program. And the kid genius never forgot it. I think he's a little sweet on him.”

Leonard smiled at that and waited until Jim walked back over to him. “Ready to go, darlin'?”

“Definitely,” Jim answered. 

Leonard nodded at Sulu and Chekov. “Those two gonna be all right?”

Jim grinned. “Yeah. Pavel's gonna keep an eye on him for a bit.” He turned to Uhura and shook her hand. “Well … I guess this is it.”

She smiled. “I guess so. I wish you both the best of luck.” 

“Thank you,” Leonard responded, also shaking her hand. Then he snagged Jim around the waist and led him to their brand new convertible. 

“This is so sweet!” Jim gushed. “Can I drive?”

“Not until your arm's fully healed, darlin'. Now get in.” 

Jim got in and grumbled until Leonard pressed a button to retract the top. Then he grinned and leaned over to kiss Leonard thoroughly. 

When they parted, Leonard started the car. And for the first time in years, he didn't have to worry about the next mission. He gave a small smile. “It's good to be back.” 

Jim reached out and took his hand. “Bones, I always knew you were out there, and you were still you. No matter what. You were never gone, Bones.” 

Leonard drew Jim's hand to his mouth. “But I wasn't with you, Jim. It's good to be with you, darlin'.” He softly kissed Jim's hand. “Now let's get some miles between us and this place.” 

Jim relaxed against the seat. “Sounds good. Let's punch it.” 

_The End! Thank you for reading!_


End file.
